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The Italy international, 29, is set to travel to Turin to complete a move back to Serie A, with a non-mandatory £8.6m purchase option included in the deal.It follows Juventus' attempts to sign Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, which has collapsed as Villa close in on signing Parma's Zion Suzuki.Martinez was known to have an injured finger and is currently unavailable for selection.Vicario, meanwhile, lost his place in the Spurs side under manager Roberto de Zerbi, who promoted understudy Antonin Kinsky to the role last season.De Zerbi has since confirmed Kinsky will remain his first-choice goalkeeper for the new season, with Martin Dubravka signed on a free transfer from Burnley in July to provide competition and cover.It is part of a club record spending spree by the north London club, who have signed six players while targeting two further attacking additions.They have also sold, loaned out or released several former first-team players, including captain Cristian Romero, England international Djed Spence and Yves Bissouma.Vicario made 117 appearances for Spurs after joining from Empoli for £17.2m in 2023.Latest Tottenham news, analysis and fan viewsAsk about Tottenham - what do you want to know?

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Manchester United reporter in WroclawPublished22 minutes ago28 CommentsCalm is the word most used about Michael Carrick by people at Manchester United.Outwardly at least, nothing knocks him out of his stride.Take Thursday for instance. During extended chats with the UK media, one journalist asked, pointedly and with persistence, about realistic targets for the season ahead and questioned the club's willingness to spend enough to achieve them.What Carrick privately thought about the questions, or the manner they were asked, is unclear. But seeing him navigate them was fascinating.There was no sign of discomfort or irritation as he sat and spoke. Carrick remained relaxed and polite but, without hesitation, answers reduced from their previously expanded form to single sentences, questions were asked in response to questions. Points already outlined were restated.Then, as the chat switched to other topics, unflustered, Carrick switched back to the in-depth answers from before.It was almost like Carrick as a player. Take the ball in tight spaces, be aware of the danger, keep composed and move out of trouble.There are a lot of positives for Carrick to take from a pre-season of five weeks and six games.Two wins, two draws and two defeats might look average, but the benefits are clear.There is huge potential in midfielder Andrey Santos for a start. One of three players - Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven were the others - to start every game, the 22-year-old, £48m summer arrival from Chelsea impressed with his ability to rotate the ball, his positional discipline and communication.Like Carrick himself, there is an assurance about Manchester United's other major signing, Youri Tielemans, that should spread through the team. There are already signs his link-up with skipper Bruno Fernandes could prove productive.It was the energised and impactful version of Bryan Mbeumo from the first half of last season that has been on view, rather than the tired one that returned from Africa Cup of Nations duty.Heaven impressed in defence, Leny Yoro also, particularly at right-back. Amad Diallo did well in flashes when he returned from World Cup duty. The same is true of Shea Lacey, the 19-year-old academy star who clearly needs to be eased in gradually, but of whom so much is expected.Neither striker Benjamin Sesko, nor new goalkeeper Karl Darlow featured. Mason Mount, arguably the best player across the first three matches, was not involved again after being taken off as a 'precaution' following a blow to his foot early in the game against Paris St-Germain on 8 August.Some players in Carrick's squad in Poland this weekend are surplus to requirements.Midfielder Toby Collyer filled in for Mount, but his future lies elsewhere. Club officials feel interest in him should be high.Full-back Harry Amass was back-up to Luke Shaw, but the intention for him is also to leave, with sources feeling a loan is more likely than a permanent exit.Of the more experienced members of Carrick's squad, Joshua Zirkzee is hugely popular and has ability. However, he lacks consistency, or an obvious position in the squad, and Lacey was used ahead of him in the number 10 role at times.If interest from Italy stacks up financially, it would seem to make sense for the former Bologna man to return to Serie A.The Marcus Rashford situation needs clarity.Sources have said the expectation is Rashford will stay at Old Trafford.However, there remains a chance he will not, which is why Carrick and team-mates who have been asked about the England forward avoid offering a definitive judgement.The lack of sales affects United's next move in the transfer market.At the beginning of the month, as supporters began to get edgy at the lack of further deals following Tielemans' arrival on 14 July, a senior club source said their business should be judged at the end of the window.Carrick's "we want more, we need more" assessment of the situation last week was an accurate reflection of the situation.Competition for the left-back position is required as a matter of urgency. Shaw has a year left on his contract and his ability to repeatedly play three games in a week is unclear. In three weeks, Carrick will have a trip to Everton and a home game with Manchester City to prepare for; in between them is a Champions League game. He must have an alternative option he would feel confident of starting in those games.Admiration for Newcastle's Lewis Hall is well known. But the club prides itself on its data team coming up with other choices. Surely they are getting to the point where they need to act?Central midfield is also an area of debate. Can Mount really be the 'third' midfielder spoken about so often in the summer, with the potential signing of Leicester teenager Louis Page as back-up?Then there are qualified risks. Senne Lammens was excellent in his debut campaign but has just two seasons as a first-choice senior goalkeeper behind him and his unhappy World Cup experience proved he can make major mistakes."We've got to be realistic, not get carried away and think everything is going to be rosy," said Carrick last week. "It never is, never was, never will be."Hull and Ipswich offer a kind start to his first full season in charge, but also the kind of banana skin United have found it so difficult to navigate at points in the past when they had seemed well placed to kick on.In conversation a year ago with former team-mate Rio Ferdinand, who he welcomed to United's training camp in Dublin last week, Carrick said he sometimes felt he was above the match he was playing in, which gave him a clear picture of what was happening.That clarity of vision may be valuable in the weeks and months that lie ahead.Pre-match, post-match and topical United contentListen on SoundsSubscribe and listen for everything you love about the Red DevilsMaguire wants 'huge threat' Rashford to stay at Man UtdRashford returns as AC Milan highlight issues facing CarrickLatest Manchester United news, analysis and fan views

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Lucy Bronze does not really do new contracts.The England legend has played for some of Europe's biggest clubs, and has usually left when her deal has run out.Manchester City (twice), Lyon and Barcelona have all found themselves in her rear-view mirror when her time was up – leaving with more medals and memories and her eyes fixed on a new challenge.This summer, though, with her contract expiring at the end of Chelsea's worst season in seven years, she decided to sign on for another 12 months."Where do you go? Where do you improve? Where do you win? The options are endless, really," Bronze said."You watch people make a wrong step. I'm always very clear on the decisions I make – I'm very headstrong. I feel at home in the area and I'm so settled."Even if it isn't potentially the perfect thing in the moment, I will make it the best that it can be."Bronze renews contract with Chelsea until 2027At the Women's European Championship that followed, Bronze was instrumental in England retaining the trophy, starting every game despite suffering a fractured tibia on the eve of the tournament.But the 2025-26 season did not pan out as anticipated.Chelsea beat eventual champions Manchester City on the opening day and won their first four games, but that was as good as it got for Sonia Bompastor's side.Everton ended their 34-game WSL unbeaten streak in December and Chelsea could not recover, eventually finishing third and being knocked out in the Champions League quarter-finals by Arsenal.Although they did retain the League Cup, finishing third was unusual in Bronze's glittering career – not that this has over-influenced her decision."I will make the most of the opportunity, whether that's becoming a better player, winning trophies, learning languages," Bronze said."Now I'm one of the oldest in the team and there's a lot of young players, so I've found a really good role in a club that I'm comfortable with."Although there has been no international tournament for Bronze this summer, there has not been any let-up in her busy schedule.A girls' soccer school in Devon, a wedding in Alicante, a trip to the men's World Cup final in New Jersey and an eye-opening trip to Colombia's capital Bogota have occupied much of her time."I did a whole day with refugees there," she said of the Bogota visit. "These kids just make the most of everything."We had to get permission to be on the streets and there was a girl there who plays on this team with all the boys on this terrible little pitch in the middle of the city with all sorts going on around."I was able to give her [Chelsea defender] Naomi Girma's shirt – one of the captains of the USA. I showed her pictures of Naomi wearing it and said that her parents were also refugees. It was amazing."While happy to make a small difference on her trip, Bronze wanted to do more, saying: "I felt like I didn't give enough."She intends to be back in South America next summer, provided England navigate two rounds of qualification play-offs in the autumn to book their place at the Women's World Cup, which Brazil will host.On the losing side in the final against Spain in 2023, the 34-year-old ascended to third on the all-time appearances list for the Lionesses this year.Making sure that she and England make that World Cup trip is a huge priority this season."Everybody knows that playing for England means the world to me," Bronze said."Every experience I've had at the World Cup has just been phenomenal – it's been the best moments of my career."I just want to win it with England."Listen to a Chelsea special of the Women's Football Weekly podcast on BBC Sounds featuring interviews with Sonia Bompastor, Ellie Carpenter, Lucy Bronze and Lauren James. Discover extra content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feed

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CommentsHave you settled on your Fantasy Premier League team yet, or are you still at the tinkering stage?Either way you may want to consider one of these players in your team, according to our FPL experts.Here are the eight players - aside from the obvious premium picks such as Bruno Fernandes and Erling Haaland - we think can help you have a successful season.You can join the BBC Sport League on the official Fantasy Premier League game using the code bbcfpl - or by clicking this link, external.Florian Wirtz, Liverpool, midfielder, £7.5mWirtz at £7.5m with around 14% ownership looks like one of the better mid-priced differentials available right now. While nearly half the game has locked in Dominik Szoboszlai, far fewer managers are backing the German, which creates useful rank upside if he delivers.Under new manager Andoni Iraola, the picture is getting clearer. Pre-season has seen Wirtz deployed as a proper number 10, operating close to striker Alexander Isak.Iraola has spoken openly about wanting Wirtz in that central role behind the striker rather than pushed wide, and the early friendlies have reflected that. Playing higher up the pitch should mean more touches in the final third and a greater share of Liverpool's goal involvement.Last season, Wirtz showed quality without fully maximising his output. A second year in the Premier League, combined with a manager who seems determined to get the best out of both him and Isak, improves the outlook. At this price and ownership level, he offers a cleaner route into Liverpool's attack than many of the more popular midfield options.Pascal Gross, Brighton, midfielder, £5.5mGross is one of the more compelling budget midfielders available, and is currently owned by fewer than 11% of teams. He is not flashy, but his underlying role and importance has improved significantly this summer.With Danny Welbeck now at Chelsea, Gross should take over penalty duties. He converted a spot-kick in pre-season against Strasbourg and also delivered a free-kick assist in the same match. Add his existing involvement in corners and other set-pieces and you have multiple routes to returns that most £5.5m midfielders simply do not possess.Brighton under Fabian Hurzeler continue to generate chances, and Gross remains central to how they progress the ball and attack dead balls. He is trusted for minutes when fit and offers a reliable floor plus occasional ceiling at a price that helps fund the big hitters elsewhere.For managers building around expensive premiums, Gross is a practical enabler who can quietly accumulate points without demanding a large slice of the budget.Antonin Kinsky, Tottenham, goalkeeper, £4.5mKinsky looks like one of the standout budget goalkeeper options this season, particularly if he can hold on to the starting place at Tottenham. The Czech goalkeeper finished last season strongly, starting every game under Roberto de Zerbi and producing several excellent performances.There is still some uncertainty, with Guglielmo Vicario still at the club. However, Kinsky is seemingly De Zerbi's first choice. He stuck with Kinsky for Tottenham's run-in last season, even after Vicario returned from injury, which showed how highly he was regarded.At £4.5m, Kinsky doesn't need to produce huge returns to justify his place in your FPL team. If he can remain Spurs' first choice, the combination of clean sheet potential, save points and a low price makes him an excellent option.Dominik Szoboszlai, Liverpool, midfielder, £7mSzoboszlai is an intriguing option at £7m after an excellent individual campaign last season. He finished as Liverpool's second highest-scoring FPL player with 160 points - only Virgil van Dijk had more with 175 points.Liverpool have a very appealing opening five gameweeks, starting with Newcastle followed by Nottingham Forest, Ipswich, Fulham and Bournemouth, and the Hungarian has plenty of routes to points.He scored 13 goals in all competitions last season, including four direct free-kicks, while also offering assist potential from set-pieces. His impressive work off the ball lead to defensive contribution (defcon) points too.There are some question marks over exactly where he will play under new Liverpool boss Iraola, particularly with Wirtz likely to slot into the number 10 position. However, Szoboszlai's versatility could actually work in his favour, meaning his minutes should be reasonably guaranteed.The Brazilian is a key pick for our fantasy forward lines, following an impressive debut season for Chelsea, where he racked up 15 goals and nine assists.He finished the season as the fourth highest-scoring forward in the game, having had 63 shots in the box and 26 big chances on goal.Having had the summer off, he's well-placed to replicate this output under new boss Xabi Alonso, with Chelsea also having the freedom of no European football to contend with.He comes in £2m cheaper than Cole Palmer, and as the clear focal point in the Chelsea attack. The only concern is that summer signing Danny Welbeck could compete with him for minutes.Neco Williams, Nottingham Forest, defender, £5mThe Wales right-back is an intriguing defensive selection for fantasy managers going into this campaign, with a potential change in formation giving him a huge advantage.We expect to see some defensive solidarity under new manager Oliver Glasner, with this Nottingham Forest side keeping 13 clean sheets in the 2024-25 campaign.Williams ranked third for fantasy points among Forest players last season, with five goal involvements, leading the way for shots (46) among defenders.He has the potential to play more advanced this campaign if Glasner adopts his favoured wing-back system, with Daniel Munoz producing eight goal involvements on the left for Palace last season.Riccardo Calafiori, Arsenal, defender, £5.5mThe Italian doesn't come without risk and Piero Hincapie (£5.5m) is a quality challenger for the left-back position, but Calafiori is a cheap route to the elite Arsenal defence, with Gabriel (£8m) now out of most managers' budgets.First choice left-back for most of last season, Calafiori's place in the XI feels secure if he can stay fit. Early substitutions are likely but rarely come pre-60 minutes and, with a full pre-season under his belt, many will expect immediate rewards from the attacking-minded full-back who plays for the best defence in the league by some distance.Cristhian Mosquera (£5.5m) is also expected to start the season with the absence of William Saliba (£6m) but Arsenal have been linked with a centre-back and Saliba's recovery timeline is vague, so Mosquera's run in the team could be short-lived.Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Leeds United, striker, £6mCalvert-Lewin is the third most-owned forward in the game behind only Erling Haaland (£15.m) and Joao Pedro (£7.5m) who complete the template front three.Leeds impressed last season but they under-achieved on their expected values and some would argue they should have comfortably finished mid-table.Calvert-Lewin's finishing was responsible for some of that under-performance, where he scored 14 goals from 15.57 expected goals and earned 33 big chances, the fourth highest in the division.Nevertheless, he gets the chances and is a handful for any back line. He's on penalties, rarely substituted, with good fixtures and arguably under-priced at £6m.Leeds are a well-oiled machine under Daniel Farke and have had an impressive transfer window in adding to their creativity, which will only benefit Calvert-Lewin. Harry Wilson (£6.5m) earned nine assists last season and will surely link well with his new target man.Who to pick, who to avoid - your team's FPL assets analysedWhat has changed in FPL for 2026-27 season?How to win at FPL - our experts give their best tips

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After looking a tad silly in the Community Shield loss to Arsenal, with not having a midfield being one problem for Enzo Maresca and the further blow of Rodri’s departure getting closer, Manchester City really need some new blood. A surprise name linked to them is Alexis Mac Allister of Liverpool, who may receive a bid in the coming days as City aim to ready themselves for the Premier League season.Ibrahim Mbaye has been linked with every club around, so it should come as no shock that Manchester United have held talks over signing the Paris Saint-Germain winger, who was left out of the matchday squad for the French Super Cup on Sunday.There will be a bit of movement in and out of the defence at Leeds, with Nico Elvedi joining fromBorussia Mönchengladbach, while Sebastiaan Bornauw heads to Hamburg on loan. Another player departing Elland Road is the goalkeeper Lucas Perri who has agreed to sign for Torino on an initial loan with the option to stay un Italy permanently.West Ham had earmarked Troy Parrott as a potential striking option but AZ Alkmaar are not too keen on selling the Republic of Ireland international for less than £21m. Nuno Espírito Santo is having to look elsewhere and Joel Piroe of Leeds has crept up the shortlist. The Hammers looked blunt in front of goal on Sunday against Burnley so may be required to pay up. Leeds would like the forward to go permanently but could accept a loan if push comes to shove.Coventry are targeting goals: with Taiwo Awoniyi signed up, they are set to complete a move for Fenerbahçe striker Sidiki Cherif for £20.5m. The talented teenager started his career with Angers before heading to Turkey on loan. He only signed permanently this summer but Fener are happy to make a quick profit. Frank Lampard may return to former club Chelsea to bolster his defensive ranks by acquiring Josh Acheampong, with the Sky Blues contemplating a temporary or permanent move for the full-back.Chelsea need to clear a few fringe players from the books over the next fortnight. Another person potentially not of use to Xabi Alonso is the centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo, who is wanted by Marseille. Benfica have also made an enquiry.Ethan Nwaneri’s absence from the Arsenal squad in Cardiff on Sunday was duly noted. Milan are favourites to give the midfielder a new home. The 19-year-old did not pull up any trees during a loan spell with Marseille but his creative talents may be better suited abroad, it would seem. One man heading out of Milan is Christopher Nkunku. He is not wanted at the San Siro, which could open the door for Newcastle to snap him up. The Premier League side could face competition from Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig.An opening offer from Fulham for Atalanta’s Raoul Bellanova has been rejected. Supposedly €20m was the figure in question for the right-back, who also has interest from elsewhere.

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She’s always been keen on the WSL, and the club have long had their eye on her – now the Norwegian midfielder feels ready to make an impactEmilie Joramo has long had her sights set on the Women’s Super League, but she held herself back from pushing for a move over from Scandinavia – until now.“I’d been interested in the league for a long time now and it was a goal for me to get here one day,” says Joramo, who Brighton signed on a free transfer at the end of June. “It was about finding the right path for me to get here. I didn’t want to go too early, I wanted to feel ready for it both physically and mentally. Now, everything just felt right.”Brighton had been tracking the Norwegian midfielder for some time and the 24-year-old was aware of their interest. An encouraging conversation with Brighton’s manager, Dario Vidosic, and good meetings with the club as her contract with Hammarby drew closer to its end meant she was at last ready to join the league she had followed from afar.That time in Sweden with Hammarby, with whom she reached the Europa Cup final last season, and before that in her homeland with Rosenborg who she helped win the Norwegian Cup for the first time in 21 years, was crucial in preparing her for her latest challenge.“I had so much fun at Hammarby and I’ve got so many good friends there,” she says. “I grew both as a football player and as a person in those years. I didn’t feel ready when I was 21, when I went to Sweden, to come over here. I felt like I needed to play a bit more, to play every game, that was really important for me.”That Brighton had been aware of her for some time was a boost too. “It’s reassuring for me that they really wanted me,” she says. “They hadn’t just watched a couple games, they’d been following me for years, and that’s really important to me because I’m not going to jump at the first opportunity I get. I like to think things through and it has to feel right for me.”For Brighton fans wondering what they are getting, there should be some excitement too. Joramo is fiercely motivated and feels she fits the possession-based style of football that Vidosic wants his team to play.“I would say that I’m a hardworking player,” she says, when asked to describe herself. “I always give 100% all of the time. I can’t do 50, 60, 70, I’m always 100%. I want to have the ball. I want to play, not just put balls in behind but to keep the ball , play with each other, [build] good relationships with the other players and think several steps ahead. They’ve always been things that I’m good at and I’m always wanting to get better at too.”Brighton and the WSL present a step up. “I think I can get challenged a lot here because things go much faster, the intensity is higher, you have a smaller amount of time when you have the ball,” she says. “So, it’s a perfect place for me to be at now to be challenged further and develop my strengths but also the parts that I’m not as strong at and need to develop more.”Arriving and starting life on the south coast was “a bit overwhelming” in the beginning: “There’s so many people to get to know, the staff is so much bigger than what I’ve been used to. So, instead of one physio you have five and you need to get to know everyone and get to know which person does which role. That’s always the way it is in a new team, of course, but it’s much bigger here.”Everyone has been very welcoming and her first impressions of training sessions under Vidosic have been positive. “I’ve only had two sessions with him so far,” she says, “but he seems very, very good at football tactics, how the game works, how to play good football, and that was important for me because I’m a player that wants to have the ball and always wants to try to get better and try to play good football together as a team, not only as individuals. This is what Dario wants, so it really fits my ambitions, my values and how I want to play.”She is finding her feet on the pitch, and starting to find them off it. Joramo’s girlfriend has moved to England with her, which has helped the transition and helps her escape football when needed. “I have to have other things to do besides football,” she says. “We’ve been to the beach and have been exploring the city. It’s so different for me to live by the beach, I’m from the mountains and the woods. This is like a holiday for me, and with the weather as well, it’s been so warm. It’s really nice.”The goal now is “to contribute as much as I can to this team and play as much as I can”, but Joramo’s patience as she worked towards her WSL goal should continue to serve her well. “I feel like I’m now in the place I want to be and develop in and I need to give it a bit of time in the beginning, because I can be very impatient,” she says. “I have to give it some time to get into it, get into the intensity and everything around the game here, because it’s so much more than what I’m used to in Sweden, this is so much bigger.”At the end of her first season in England is a big carrot, should Norway come through a two-legged playoff against Romania and then another against Albania or Wales and qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.Joramo made her debut for the senior side in 2022 and has been on the fringes of the squad since, making three appearances in total and playing for the under-23s. In April she was on the bench for the senior side’s back-to-back qualification campaign wins over Slovenia and she is hopeful her WSL move helps her show what she can bring.“Hopefully this also will strengthen my opportunities with the national team,” she says. “I know this is the best league in the world, so if I get to play here, then I’ve done something right, I think.”

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8 CommentsLast season, the Premier League was arguably more competitive than it has been for years.While the 65 points between champions Arsenal and bottom side Wolves was around the average for a 38-game season (63), a real revolution took place in mid-table.Since the league was reduced to 20 teams in 1995-96, the gap between the top four and the bottom three – between what has often been the Champions League and the Championship – had been increasing as the seasons went by, with the 'bigger' clubs profiting from their European adventures and the extra money they earned by regularly finishing higher in the table.But last season, the gap between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots' of the Premier League dropped from 44 points in 2024-25 to just 26 points – the smallest distance for 23 years (since 25 points in 2002-03).The European places were more attainable than they had been for years. Despite taking a point fewer than when they finished seventh the season before, Aston Villa clinched Champions League qualification by finishing two places higher.While Liverpool took the 'bonus' Champions League place by finishing fifth, their points total of 60 was the lowest by a side finishing there for 19 years and would have put them ninth in 2024-25.Bournemouth and Sunderland also took full advantage of needing fewer points than normal by qualifying for European competition for the first time ever and for over half a century respectively.Meanwhile, the teams in the bottom half finished with more points than they had in years, meaning that judging them simply by their position in the table is perhaps a little harsh.Everton may have been underwhelmed with their 13th-place finish but it was the most points a team in that position had finished with since the Toffees themselves did it at the turn of the millennium.The points of the four places below them were all the highest they have been in the Premier League for 23 years and West Ham can consider themselves unlucky to have gone down with the highest points total for an 18th-placed side since 2010-11.Overall, 13 of the 20 teams finished with between 40 and 60 points last season – the most in a Premier League campaign since 2003-04 (also 13).Was the Premier League so competitive in 2025-26 because the quality of the 'lesser' teams got better or the top teams got worse? It is hard to know for sure.Given how savvy smaller clubs like Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth are, the vast amounts of money that enable even bottom-half sides to poach the best talent from abroad and the Premier League's current dominance of the Europa League and Conference League, it would seem to be the former.However, the fact that promoted play-off winners Sunderland were able to finish above 13 teams in their first season back suggests the league was maybe not as strong as we think.What we do know is that whether because they got worse or their opponents got better, four of the sides that finished in the top seven in 2024-25 – champions Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest – took 79 points fewer between them last season.While Forest's decline was perhaps expected given their incredible seventh-place finish in 2024-25 and their journey to the Europa League semi-finals last season, the others were far more surprising.Sunderland and Leeds smashed the recent run of promoted sides struggling to compete by taking 64 more points than the teams they replaced in the top flight.As a result, this season will be a bit of an upside-down one in that Bournemouth, Brighton and Sunderland have European campaigns to navigate while Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle do not.Will we therefore see a bounce-back to the more 'traditional' order in 2026-27 or are we truly entering a new, fiercely-competitive era of the Premier League?However, one place where the Premier League has become less competitive – likely because it has become more fiercely-contested overall – is at the very bottom.While it is almost expected for one side to be cut adrift long before the end of the season, nowadays two sides are getting left behind.The average points tally of the second-bottom side in a 38-game season is 31, meaning teams that finish there have usually competed in a relegation battle for most of the season before ultimately falling short.After the Premier League was reduced to 20 teams in 1995-96, only two 19th-placed sides failed to reach 30 points in the first 21 seasons. But in the last decade, seven of the 10 sides to finish in that position have failed to do so.In fact, in the past two seasons promoted sides Ipswich and Burnley have both finished there with just 22 points – the fewest ever taken by a second-bottom side.Relegation battles are now mostly a fight to see who takes the final spot in the bottom three, with the other two accounted for long before the final day – often by promoted sides.But inspired by the survival of Sunderland and Leeds, promoted Coventry City, Ipswich Town and Hull City will all be hoping they have what it takes to match the competitiveness of the Premier League this season.

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"People would be laughing now but it's something that would have worked, no doubt about it."This weekend, and across each one to follow through the Premier League season, thousands will make the journey from all over the island of Ireland to take in a game from England's top flight.Indeed, despite increased interest in the league from all four corners of the globe, those making the short trip from across the Irish Sea still account for the greatest number of travelling supporters each season.Such is the fixation with all things Premier League that the 75,000 fans who packed a sold-out Croke Park for last week's friendly between Manchester United and Leeds represented a record crowd for any football match in the Republic of Ireland.Earlier in the month, Arsenal also drew a huge crowd to the Aviva Stadium for their own friendly with Real Betis.But what if such occasions were a fortnightly norm rather than summer one-offs? Well, three decades ago an outlandish plan asked that very question.It started with an innocuous report in a Sunday broadsheet. The newspaper told of Wimbledon chairman Sam Hammam's fractious relationship with Merton Council and the ongoing struggle to come to an arrangement over a permanent home for the club.Hammam had bought the club in 1981 but, with plans for an all-seater stadium in Merton having come to nothing, they had been ground-sharing with Crystal Palace since 1991, a situation that suited neither landlord nor tenant."We'd always get dog's abuse off Palace fans calling us squatters," recalled Kenny Cunningham, the Dublin-born full-back who joined the club from Millwall in 1994."There wasn't a huge amount of respect there, I don't think. A bit tongue in cheek maybe, but I think they meant it."By then, the FA Cup-winning 'Crazy Gang' era had come to a close but, under former Republic of Ireland international Joe Kinnear, Wimbledon were firmly established as a top-flight side.While there were still grumbles over their direct style, the side were undoubtedly effective, finishing sixth in the 1993-94 campaign."We were a small team in what was becoming the greatest league in the world. It was a great feeling to be stood in the tunnel, ready to go up against world class players and knowing we had a chance," added Cunningham."But there was always the issue with the ground, always the talk about what would happen in the medium to long term. Would they go back to Plough Lane? Would they groundshare?"Upon reading of Hammam's impasse with the council in the paper, Tommy Higgins landed on a more radical solution.Through his role with Ticketmaster Ireland Higgins knew that property developer Owen O'Callaghan had planning permission to build a 40,000-seater stadium on the outskirts of Dublin. All the project needed was an anchor tenant. A stadium in need of a club, a club in need of a stadium.While a first meeting, attended only by Hammam's brother, went nowhere, a chance encounter on the streets of Dublin brought together a heavyweight Irish consortium.When Higgins and businessman Maurice Cassidy ran into former Republic of Ireland player turned television pundit and journalist Eamon Dunphy along with Paul McGuinness, manager of Irish rock band U2, a decision was made to resurrect the plan.All knew it was a long shot, but could they pull it off?The mid-1990s found English football caught between two generations. Edging slowly from the long shadow of the Bradford City stadium fire, Heysel and the Hillsborough disaster, Roman Abramovich's acquisition of Chelsea heralding an era of foreign ownership was still years away.While the league was once largely a British and Irish concern, players such as Jurgen Klinsmann, Dennis Bergkamp and Juninho had sealed incoming transfers to England that would have been unthinkable just a few short years before.Come 17 August 1996, the opening day of the new season, Gianfranco Zola and Fabrizio Ravanelli were the latest imported stars ready to make unlikely debuts, but it was a considerably more local talent who stole the headlines.Few goals in Premier League history have been more replayed than David Beckham's audacious lob from the halfway line against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park."If you roll it back very slowly to the point of contact where Beckham goes to shoot, you can me see in the far left of the picture," said Cunningham."You can blame me for a lot of the goals we conceded when I was at the club, but I don't think I've to hold my hands up on that one."But that goal, the way he stepped up on to the scene, there was a lot of commotion about it. That was the Premier League on its way in a lot of ways. It was exciting times."Among the crowd at Selhurst Park were the Irish consortium, preparing a bid of £6m for 74% of the notional home side.Following such a public appearance from the key figures involved, it was no surprise when news of the plans soon broke in the media."When the story broke at the time people thought it was crazy stuff, a team in Dublin. They couldn't entertain it," said Cunningham."Sam Hammam was before his time in terms of thinking about how he could get his club on the back pages. The football took care of Saturday, but from Sunday to Friday, he'd be very astute in that way."I remember thinking then was it just another Sam way to generate that bit more publicity around the club and saying to the gaffer 'is there any value in this?' Joe was saying that they were serious."Cunningham was keenly aware of the interest back home, even if some team-mates were less sure."I don't mean it as a criticism, but the English boys were a bit insular maybe," he added. "The lads were talking as if Dublin was the other side of the world, then asking if it was a good night out?"A good night out in Dublin...are you serious? I was telling them they were going to love it."Hammam believed that his fellow owners and the league's broadcasters would be no harder to convince than sceptical players. Fans on the other hand..."I hated it. I thought it was absolutely ridiculous," said Ivor Heller, who had been a Wimbledon supporter since their non-league days in the 1970s."From a business point of view, I could see the sense of it. Man United fans, Liverpool fans, Chelsea fans, Tottenham fans, of course they'd all love an away game in Dublin, but for me, it felt like a nightmare."Nothing against Dublin, but if we moved there, it was the end of the football club. It could never be Wimbledon in Dublin."Through his printing business, Heller produced the placards displayed at Selhurst Park which bluntly summed up the mood of the fanbase - 'Dublin = Death'.The Football Association of Ireland [FAI] were no more enamoured with the project.While the consortium felt the behemoth of a Premier League club in Dublin would be the rising tide to lift all boats, and Kinnear envisaged a slew of Irish internationals becoming viable transfer targets, the governing body feared it would essentially kill off their own domestic league.The fan who brought his football club back to lifeWhat if Wimbledon had become the Dublin Dons?"The concept was really, really strong," said Higgins, now chairman of League of Ireland side Sligo Rovers."Jack Charlton's Irish team was in his heyday, and coming off Italia '90 and USA '94, you'd have had a mini-international side playing in Dublin every other week."I believe it would have transformed soccer on the island, but they [the FAI] were looking down too narrow a pipe."And look at what's happened since - rugby and the GAA have eaten our lunch and they get the money for TV and sponsorship."Soccer just didn't have the vision to do something transformative."In the end, it was a moot point. After 18 months of talks, the line to Hammam went dead. Calls went unanswered, correspondence unreturned.Higgins, who still has the unsigned contract among his files, was walking through an airport the next year when he looked up at a television screen to see news that Hammam had sold 80% of the club to Bjorn Rune Gjelsten and Kjell Inge Rokke for £26m, more than four times their own bid.A shopping centre now sits where the Premier League stadium was to be built.Dublin would not get its team, but nor would Wimbledon keep theirs with the club ultimately moved to Milton Keynes in 2004.In the community left behind, AFC Wimbledon were born, starting life in the ninth tier of English football that same year with Heller among four co-founders.Three decades on from those first murmurs of a move to Dublin, the reclaimed club are a League One side and since returned to their spiritual home of Plough Lane."You talk about the FA Cup, league finishes, cup semi-finals, but for me what they've done, that's the biggest achievement in the history of the football club," said Cunningham."To be knocked for six, to go careening down the leagues, and come back, it's a success every time they take the pitch. Good luck to them."The Dublin thing? It's a bit of nostalgia now, maybe a bit of sadness at a missed opportunity."People would be laughing now but it's something that would have worked, no doubt about it. Absolutely, people would have rowed in behind it."

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The rules are simple. Each day there's a new footballer and the challenge is to guess who they are in as few attempts as possible.After each wrong guess you unlock a new clue. The fewer clues you need to get the right answer, the more points you score.Three is a good score, four or five points is exceptional.So take part and return for more tomorrow.Today's player and clues set by BBC Sport's Flora Snelson.After more quizzes? Go to our dedicated Football Quizzes and Sports Quizzes pages and sign up for notifications to get the latest quizzes sent straight to your device.What information do we collect from this quiz?Related topicsFootballPremier LeaguePlay more quizzesAll our Premier League Who Am I? quizzes in one placeCan you name the players with most Premier League appearances?Can you name the 10 Lionesses with most England caps?Can you name every team to have played in the WSL?

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Welcome to our brand new Five in Five game!The rules are simple. Each day we want you to give us five correct answers inside five minutes.Will you beat the clock? Take part and return for more tomorrow.Today's question set by BBC Sport's Joe Rindl.After more quizzes? Go to our dedicated Football Quizzes and Sports Quizzes pages and sign up for notifications to get the latest quizzes sent straight to your device.What information do we collect from this quiz?Get in touchSend us your quiz ideasContact formContact formRelated topicsFootballPlay more quizzesAll our Five in Five football quizzes in one placeAll our Premier League Who Am I? quizzes in one placeCan you name the players with most Premier League appearances?Can you name the 10 Lionesses with most England caps?Can you name every team to have played in the WSL?

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2 CommentsCardiff City and Wrexham bid to bring the opening weekend of the new Championship season to a spectacular end with a blockbuster Monday night showdown in south Wales.The Bluebirds face the Red Dragons in a league match for the first time in 24 years, after Cardiff secured a return to the second tier at the first attempt.In addition to the eyes of those across the south and north of Wales being transfixed on proceedings at Cardiff City Stadium, the contest will attract global attention."When the fixture came out everyone was instantly excited by it," said Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson."It's a Welsh derby and just a great game for both clubs to start."Those based in the city of Cardiff can already sense something different in the air."I can't wait," said Parkinson's opposite number Brian Barry-Murphy."I suppose the length of the build-up means that, as you get closer, the excitement grows."You can feel a real buzz in the city for the game and we're all looking forward to it."Three clubs, six derbies as Welsh rivals collideJust shy of 16,000 supporters were at Ninian Park on that occasion, and nearly double that amount will be in attendance at Cardiff City Stadium this time around, such is the anticipation for the fixture.The game will also be beamed to fans around the world, particularly in North America where Wrexham have become a household name, thanks largely to the success of their Welcome to Wrexham documentary.But current Cardiff head coach Barry-Murphy has zero interest in the fanfare brought to the party by the likes of Wrexham's Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac.Barry-Murphy's focus lies solely on satisfying the demands of those wearing blue in the Welsh capital, along with those of the club's Malaysian owner Vincent Tan."The people in North America aren't relevant to me," said the Irishman."With all due respect, the people of Cardiff are the only ones that matter to us."And obviously the people in Malaysia are your boss, so we're trying to impress him always and play for the supporters."Wrexham's growth, however, has been nigh-on impossible to ignore.Denis Smith - Wrexham boss for that 3-2 loss in the Welsh capital more than two decades ago - says having a team of the Red Dragons' stature in the north of the country is vital."I understand the feeling for football in and around that area," the 78-year-old said on BBC Radio Wales Sport."I had a great time there. I was there for five years. While I was there, we won things and got promotion, but we also had the problems."I was daft enough to go on the board so it cost me a lot of money, but it's a great football club."The area wants football, Wales needs a club of Wrexham's size in north Wales."Listen to the latest Cardiff City interviews, news and discussion on BBC SoundsListen to Wrexham interviews, news and discussion on BBC SoundsMore than pride at stakeThe opportunity to claim bragging rights over rival Welsh opponents will consistently whet the appetites of supporters from the nation's three Championship representatives this term.But both Cardiff and Wrexham have something of a point to prove from the word go in the 2026-27 Championship campaign.The Bluebirds finished rock bottom of the division in 2024-25, and as a result are being tipped by many to struggle this season upon their return.It also meant they were denied a pair of league meetings with Wrexham last season given the Red Dragons had secured promotion from League One.However, the Bluebirds did earn something of a surprise 2-1 win over the north Wales side at the Racecourse Ground in the fourth round of the EFL Cup.Will that cup encounter having any bearing on Championship matters though?Head coach Barry-Murphy said: "I think one of the beauties of this season is that, for a lot of us, we're going into the unknown."We see that as being very exciting and potentially something that we all want to look forward to."Former Wales striker Malcolm Allen believes Cardiff could be the "shock" of the season in the second tier."One or two more players will come in," he said on the BBC's Y Coridor Ansicrwydd podcast."Cardiff have been quiet, but I love the fact that the manager and their two best players [Yousef Salech and Dylan Lawlor] have stayed at the club."Having said there is a real uncertainty over what his side can achieve this season, Barry-Murphy was both measured and quietly confident when outlining Cardiff's potential."Our feeling is that we can surprise a lot of people," he said."We're not naive. We saw a lot of predictions this week which put us in the bottom two or bottom three, so we're under no illusions about how difficult the season is going to be."But the size of the challenge improves the size of our excitement. The bigger the challenge, the more we look forward to it."Amid uncertainty around Cardiff's capabilities of making the step up from the third tier, Wrexham's aim is abundantly clear this season.Start with a bang, and press on with a promotion push.They won just once in their opening five league games in 2025-26 and conceded 10 goals during that run as they initially struggled to adapt to the second tier on the back of three successive promotions.But they settled swiftly and established themselves as a competitive Championship team, only missing out on a top-six spot on the final day of the regular season.On the eve of the new campaign, defender Zak Vyner made no secret of his side's desire to go one better this time around.As a player who regularly faced Cardiff in the Severnside derby with former club Bristol City, Vyner fully understands the significance of Wrexham's season opener."It's a big start. I think we've got a few tasty games to start with and Cardiff's one of the big ones for us as a club and we're looking forward to it," he said."I've had my fair share of derbies with them so I'm looking forward to it as well."But for one side, an early marker can be put down, which will represent significantly more than just being top dogs in Wales.Cardiff secure return of Liverpool loanee ScanlonFine-tuning and a clear target - Wrexham's season aim

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Oli McBurnie hoists the Championship playoff trophy high and Hull will need him to retain his scoring touch in the Premier League. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The GuardianPlayoff winners are expected to go back down, but their owner is optimistic and is investing in the squadGuardian writers’ predicted position: 20th (NB: this is not necessarily Louise Taylor’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)Last season’s position: 6th (Championship)It is no exaggeration to say that Hull’s playoff triumph in May was a shock. They had, after all, started the season as Championship relegation favourites and operated under a transfer embargo throughout the campaign. Moreover, they conceded 66 league goals, the fourth-highest, along the way. Now another minor miracle will surely be required if Premier League survival is to be secured.Much may hinge on Oli McBurnie, the scorer of 19 goals last season, succeeding where he has struggled in the past and retaining his scoring touch in the top tier, but there is no lack of optimism in East Yorkshire. “Think about us like a volcano,” says Hull’s owner, Acun Ilicali. “It’s boiling right now and it’s going to erupt.”Hull intend following Sunderland’s template last summer by making 14 new signings, albeit on a significantly smaller budget. So far 11 – Jack Butland, Hidemasa Morita, Matt Targett, Óscar Zambrano, Jens Hjertø-Dahl, Elliot Stroud, Konstantinos Tzolakis, Lucas Herrington, Joe Gelhardt, Lucas Gourna-Douath and the club record buy, the central defender Nobel Mendy, who has arrived from Rayo Vallecano for just over £20m – have arrived.“The transfer market is very slow,” said the manager, Sergej Jakirovic, who covets the Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor and last season’s 23-goal Championship top scorer, Swansea’s Zan Vipotnik. “But, in the last seven days of the window, it will become very, very quick.”His cause has been hindered by pre-season injuries, with perhaps the biggest blow involving an arm problem suffered by Butland. It threatens to keep the former Rangers goalkeeper, who had impressed in friendlies, out until Christmas. The consensus is that Hull will have long since become a lost cause by then, but, much as the impressive Jakirovic needs new faces and Premier League nous, he does hold one ace card. Hull boast an exceptionally powerful team spirit driven by exemplary on-field leaders, including the veteran central defender John Egan. Maybe, just maybe, it can, once again, transport them further than anyone believes possible.In June, the playoff winners faced kicking off the new Premier League season handicapped by a near certain six-point deduction. A club that spent last season under a two-window English Football League transfer embargo avoided it by selling their goalkeeper Ivor Pandur and midfielder Aidon Shehu to Rangers and Panathinaikos respectively for a combined £8.5m. Access to the fruits of the top tier’s broadcast deal has since made Hull a whole lot wealthier, but Ilicali has pledged not to risk the club’s future by overspending and, at the time of writing, has invested around £78m on the new players.Unpredictable and slightly conflicted. Aidon Shehu, the Turkish sports reporter turned media mogul – who is on his fifth manager since taking control in early 2022 – was offered a wholesale welcome when he took over from the unpopular Allam family, but he now exerts much more of a polarising effect on supporters. If November 2022, when he treated 320 fans to an all-expenses-paid week’s holiday at a luxury resort hotel in Antalya represented a high point, a nadir arrived when late payments resulted in Hull being placed under a transfer embargo last season. Nonetheless, the playoff triumph ensures many are prepared to offer the 57-year-old the benefit of the doubt.The Mostar-born, 49-year-old Jakirovic has Bosnian and Croatian citizenship and says his life was shaped by the 1990s Balkan war that broke out when he was 14. “It was life or death,” he has said. “It has made me the person I am today.” Shortly after his arrival from Turkey’s Kayserispor, in June 2025, Hull were placed under a transfer embargo, but, defying widespread predictions of imminent relegation, he led the team to sixth place before beating Middlesbrough in the Championship playoff final. A central midfielder or central defender in his playing days, the former Bosnia and Herzegovina international led Dinamo Zagreb to the Croatian League and Cup double in 2024.The Japan defensive midfielder Hidemasa Morita joined from Sporting Lisbon after four trophy-laden years in Portugal. A fans’ favourite in Lisbon, he played regular Champions League football last season as Sporting reached the quarter-finals and has 40 senior international caps. Morita could have stayed in Lisbon, but opted not to renew his contract in order to experience Premier League football. Hull fended off competition from Ipswich for the signature of the 31-year-old who was a key part of the Japan squad at Qatar 2022. Morita is the second Japanese player to represent Hull and his amalgam of experience and quality in a key position promise to prove invaluable.The strangest part of the Championship playoffs might not have been the Southampton spying scandal. Hull were second-bottom for expected points, 53.1, and would have been relegated if underlying performances determined results. It was remarkable tthey won promotion and it will be even more surprising if they make a serious fist of staying up.The 22-year-old central defender Charlie Hughes was Hull’s young player of the year last season and his assurance in possession and excellent passing range are bound to catch all sorts of Premier League eyes. Helpfully, his ballplaying ability is matched by some equally impressive – and combative – defending. After spending his youth in the academies of Liverpool and Manchester City, Hughes joined Wigan, leaving for Hull last summer. An imposing blend of steel and silk, a defender also comfortable in central midfield will miss the start of the season after hernia surgery. Happily, Hughes is expected back by early autumn at the latest and appears integral to the team’s survival hopes.Not content with helping Hull win the most unexpected of promotions, the Canada winger Liam Millar headed across the Atlantic to the World Cup. He made three appearances at the tournament as they reached the knockout stage, losing to Morocco in the round of 16. Given his career seemed in real jeopardy when he suffered a serious knee injury shortly after joining Hull in 2024, inclusion in Canada’s squad represented the fulfilment of an unlikely looking dream. “It was an unbelievable experience,” said the 26-year-old. “I’ve never seen Canada the way it was, I’ve never seen so many red shirts in Vancouver and Toronto. We want to inspire the next generation and I think we did Canada proud.”