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14 CommentsWest Ham United have broken the EFL transfer record by paying a £22m fee to sign Arne Engels from Scottish champions Celtic.The 22-year-old Belgium international has signed a five-year contract after West Ham paid what they called a "record fee paid by an EFL Championship club".It tops the £17.5m paid by Ipswich Town a year ago to sign Norway forward Sindre Walle Egeli.Following relegation in May, West Ham start their first Championship season since 2012 with a trip to Burnley on Sunday.But Engels, who can play in midfield, right-back or right-wing, will not be available to make his debut until the home league derby against Charlton Athletic at the London Stadium on Saturday, 22 August.Relive the Championship action on a busy opening SaturdayEngels is West Ham's fourth summer signing after the recruitment of Venezuela midfielder Keiber Lamadrid, Dutch defender Joel Veltman and Israel winger Manor Solomon.West Ham director of player recruitment Nils Koppen told the club website:, external "Arne is a player we have been tracking for some time as a key target."For a player who is still very young with his best years in front of him, he has very good experience and has established himself at a big club, showing consistency and confidence."Arne has the right traits, both as a player and as a character, to fit into what we are trying to build moving forward. He is very motivated to be here for this challenge."Engels, who has made four appearances for Belgium, won back-to-back Scottish Premiership titles with Celtic after arriving from Augsburg in August 2024, having begun his career at Club Brugge."It's a really nice project to come into," he said. "To try to go back to the Premier League. That's the big goal."It's just up to me to hopefully help the team with it and together with the supporters to get some wins. Hopefully it's going to be a good year."West Ham's boardroom battle on eve of Championship seasonQuiz: How much do you remember about West Ham's 2011-12 season?

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Manchester United reporter in WroclawPublished15 minutes agoCommentsThis was a pre-season finale to forget for Manchester United.Just a week away from their Premier League opener at promoted Hull City on Saturday, Michael Carrick's men took the lead twice against AC Milan before finishing on the wrong end of a 4-2 beating.Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo and Lisandro Martinez all made their first appearances of pre-season. Skipper Bruno Fernandes and Youri Tielemans played for the full 90 minutes.From the looks of it, there are no fresh injury concerns for Michael Carrick at the end of a six-match pre-season that has been largely positive, albeit with a foot issue for Mason Mount in Gothenburg seven days ago that was initially shrugged off as a precaution but has now kept the in-form midfielder out for almost three full games.The problem, whether in pre-season or when the campaign proper begins, is that results shape narratives. And losing 4-2 in Wroclaw to a Milan side led by former United boss Ruben Amorim is not a good look.Three of the four Milan goals were close-range efforts. Those with the benefit of replays – there was no VAR in operation in Wroclaw – felt one of them was offside.Ruben Loftus-Cheek rounded things off by racing beyond Martinez and not getting caught before he drove a shot past Senne Lammens, without whom the overall damage would have been worse.Manchester United seemed to have a particular issue when AC Milan switched play to the right as Luke Shaw, who also played for the full game, had too much space to cover to get to the wing and not enough support.The gaps between defence and midfield were not big, but they were not covered adequately by United. After an eye-catching first five games this summer, this was also a day when recent signing Andrey Santos' inexperience was exposed.Such matters will give Carrick something to think about on the flight back to Manchester as he assesses how best to go about starting the Premier League campaign."We are disappointed with today," Carrick told MUTV afterwards. "We didn't play very well. There are no excuses."What happens next with Rashford and Man Utd?Rashford returnsOnce they are into the meat of the season, few at Old Trafford will remember this day.However, depending on how the situation unfolds before the transfer window closes on 1 September, it could be very significant in one way.With an hour gone, Marcus Rashford was introduced by Carrick as one of six substitutes.It was his first appearance for his boyhood club since Viktoria Plzen away in the Europa League on 12 December 2024, after which he was effectively banished by Amorim and loaned out, first to Aston Villa and then Barcelona, from where he was not expected to return.Carrick had enough opportunities when he spoke to UK media in Maynooth on Thursday to say so if it was certain Rashford will be staying beyond this month.United officials were quick to make it known the number nine shirt Rashford wore in Poland was not permanent, to stave off any complaints from those tempted to buy one.The 28-year-old looked relaxed enough throughout.When he was sent out for his first warm-up during the game, he applauded the positive reception he got from United supporters in the corner he was running towards. Although, within seconds, Samuel Chukwueze was tapping home AC Milan's first equaliser at the same end of the pitch.Rashford was out later than most of his fellow substitutes for a second-half warm-up, but he still had time for a couple of passing tricks with Martinez – a World Cup semi-final rival a month ago.Once the England attacker came on, it was noticeable he stayed wider than Patrick Dorgu, the man he replaced on the left. For the record, Dorgu and Harry Maguire were United's men on the scoresheet in this latest tune-up.Rashford's first run ended with him conceding a foul, but it wasn't long before a brilliant piece of play by the corner flag took him past an opponent.Not surprisingly, that brought many in the crowd to their feet.As reintroductions go, it was solid, not spectacular. But it didn't need to be anything more.Pre-match, post-match and topical United contentListen on SoundsSubscribe and listen for everything you love about the Red DevilsRashford, Mainoo & transfers - Carrick calls for more signingsSliding doors - when Mourinho said yes, then no, to Man UtdLatest Manchester United news, analysis and fan viewsAsk about Man Utd - what do you want to know?

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4 CommentsEspanyol sporting director Monchi believes Spanish clubs should be paying closer attention to England's Championship, describing it as one of football's "least understood" competitions and an increasingly attractive source of talent.The former goalkeeper has returned to his native Spain after two years as president of football operations at Aston Villa, having previously held sporting director roles at Sevilla and Roma.Barcelona-based Espanyol, who finished 11th in La Liga last season, are one of the oldest clubs in Spain, having been founded in 1900.Monchi says seeking out talent in the English second tier is part of a broader strategy to tap into markets where Espanyol can compete, despite the financial restrictions imposed on Spanish clubs.Espanyol have a connection to the Championship - as the club's ownership group, led by Alan Pace, also owns Burnley."I think the Championship is one of the least understood competitions," Monchi told BBC Sport."Having lived in England for two years and worked with Aston Villa, and now continuing to follow the competition because of Burnley, I can say that there are some very good players there."The 57-year-old Spaniard points to Morgan Rogers as one example of the talent who came through the Championship.Rogers joined Aston Villa from Middlesbrough in 2024 after a spell in the second tier and went on to become an England international before completing a £117m move to Chelsea this summer."That is just one example, but I could give many more," Monchi said."I think it is a competition with an extremely high level of competitiveness, very good coaches and intense demands. It is an excellent place to discover talent."Tyrhys Dolan joined Espanyol from Blackburn Rovers in July 2025 after five seasons in the Championship, while the Spanish club have now signed Netherlands international Quilindschy Hartman on loan from Burnley.For Espanyol, the Championship represents more than simply a scouting opportunity.Spanish clubs operate under La Liga's squad-cost limits, while Premier League clubs have considerably greater financial resources.Monchi therefore believes clubs such as Espanyol have to identify markets where intelligent recruitment can compensate for a spending disadvantage."We cannot do everything we would like to do, but we do what we can," he said."It is true that we are at a disadvantage compared with some Spanish clubs, and particularly compared with clubs in England, Italy or Germany."However, we have to be imaginative, work hard and look for alternatives."The link between Espanyol and Burnley gives Monchi a close connection to the English game."I cannot avoid keeping an eye on the UK," he said.Monchi's two years at Aston Villa also changed his perspective on how a modern football club should operate.He particularly admired Villa's clear separation between the sporting and business sides, while maintaining strong relationships between ownership, staff and supporters."There was a very clear distinction between the business side and the sporting side," he said."There was very good synergy throughout the club, a strong relationship with the ownership and a close connection with the fans."That does not mean applying everything in exactly the same way [at Espanyol], but they are valuable experiences."His most memorable moment in England came during his first season at Villa in 2023-24, when they qualified for the Champions League."After 40 or so years without playing in the Champions League, securing qualification was a beautiful moment," he said.Villa also reached the semi-finals of the Conference League during his first season, before reaching the FA Cup semi-finals and Champions League quarter-finals in his second campaign.Monchi's approach to identifying players has evolved considerably since he began working as a sporting director more than 25 years ago.The biggest change, he says, has been the arrival of data and artificial intelligence."We no longer rely solely on scouting reports and subjective assessments, but also on the support provided by big data, artificial intelligence and data analysis in general," he said."All clubs have done, and what I have done personally, is adapt to new technologies."For Espanyol, that means combining data-driven recruitment with the kind of market knowledge Monchi developed during his career in Spain, Italy and England.The objective is not simply to find cheap players, but to identify players who can increase the club's competitiveness and eventually help close the financial gap with wealthier rivals.Monchi is equally clear that Espanyol should not measure their progress by how they compare to Barcelona, despite the two clubs sharing the same city."Espanyol have to focus on themselves," he said."Barcelona are a major club and an important team, but I do not think Espanyol's growth should be measured against Barcelona. Espanyol's reference point has to be Espanyol itself."His ambition is to restore Espanyol to the status their history suggests they should occupy.The club's past, he believes, provides a blueprint for where it can go again."Espanyol have enough history and enough of a past for us to look back at what the club has been and try to become that Espanyol again," he said."An Espanyol that was one of the most important clubs in Spain. That is where we have to aim to return."The immediate target is more modest: improve on last season's league position and consolidate the project.But beneath that cautious short-term approach is a clear belief that Espanyol can eventually compete much higher up La Liga."The ambition is to improve on last season's league position and continue progressing, moving forward one step at a time and consolidating the project," Monchi said.And if the Championship continues to provide the sort of players he believes Spanish clubs are overlooking, it could become an important part of the route back.Listen to the latest Football Daily podcastSoundsGet football news sent straight to your phone

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Rangers need "a wee bit of help" and have money to spend to get it despite dropping out of the Europa League, says manager Derek McInnes. Two draws and two defeats in the first four games of his tenure have put new boss McInnes under pressure, with Rangers registering only one point in the league and dropping into the Conference League qualifiers after losing to Jagiellonia Bialystok.Should the Ibrox side fail to overcome Czech side Jablonec over the final two Thursdays in August, they will be without continental competition - and the income it brings - for the rest of the campaign.McInnes has overseen a summer of rebuilding, with nine players brought in, but he maintains that more could yet follow."It's not been the start we wanted, but the intention is still to have the outcome that we want come the end of the season," he said before Sunday's League Cup last-16 tie with St Mirren (16:00 BST)."We're still working hard towards that and we've got money to spend. We've got a lot of younger players and what we could do with is just a wee bit of help.'This is the right one' - Rohl on leaving Rangers for SalzburgAttributionNewsPublished11 hours ago"We need to try and win games as we go along because if you don't, everything becomes so much more difficult. Everything gets scrutinised."That's not going to change. The only thing that has to change is getting more winning performances and hopefully we can have that Sunday."McInnes admitted injuries had forced him to put "square pegs in round holes" in Thursday's 1-1 draw at home to Jagiellonia.And he said they need to give the Rangers fans "something to get behind" when they welcome St Mirren."They need to see action," he added. "Nobody is sitting here and asking for understanding and patience. I quite understand the frustrations and it's been more than just these four games where the frustration starts to build."They need somewhere to vent that but they should be seeing a better performance and we'll aim to give them that."It's been tough. The level of performance is the thing that they're questioning but they're also not winning games, they're out of the Europa League.I do believe Derek is the right man. He's not become a bad manager in four games.I think he will get Rangers to a place this season where they're challenging for the league and the cup and they're playing good football and they're competitive. You've got to be patient.It should be a combination of the footballing department and Derek McInnes [that sign the players]. A recruitment team should always identify targets that fit the profile that the manager wants and then the manager should have the final say.If you've signed 27 players in a year, something's gone seriously, seriously wrong.They need a starting right-back, a starting centre-half, a starting centre midfielder - which is unbelievable to say considering they've signed three in the summer - and I think they need another two wingers.If Derek wants to continue with two strikers, they need another striker.Everything is getting scrutinised. If you don't win your first few games, you're immediately under pressure. Derek McInnes is suddenly under pressure.He has to be given time to build his team, put his stamp on it. He needs to sort out the spine of his team and that's going to take more money.Contact formContact formRelated topicsFootballScottish FootballScottish PremiershipRangersMore on this storyRangers leave PSV surprised as they pull out of Driouech dealVisit our Rangers page for all the latest news, analysis and fan views

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In spite of a 2-1 loss to Bayer Leverkusen, the new head coach at St James’ Park showed signs he is on the right path, and is closing in on Benfica’s Amar DedicReasons to be fearful or cause to be cheerful? Newcastle fans among a crowd in excess of 39,000 at St James’ Park on Saturday had much to debate as they headed home from a slightly underwhelming 2-1 friendly defeat by Bayer Leverkusen.The bad news is that a suddenly youthful team still coming to terms with life without this summer’s departed stars, Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimarães, look more than a little undercooked before Liverpool’s visit on Premier League duty next Sunday.Late last year these teams drew a Champions League group stage game in Leverkusen but since then the Germans have reconstructed a then transitional squad and Newcastle dismantled theirs.Eddie Howe’s sudden departure at the very end of July has left Matthias Jaissle, late of Jeddah’s Al-Ahli, to pick up the managerial pieces. Despite this defeat on a day when Leverkusen looked to be playing within themselves, the 38-year-old German is already showing a few, albeit tentative, indications that he just might be able to put one of football’s most complicated jigsaws back together.If Malick Thiaw, Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa in particular appear re-energised by his coaching, Jaissle’s faith in the 17-year-old Mason Miley, the younger brother of the midfielder Lewis, was fully vindicated as the academy product shone at right-back.“Mason’s a young lad with the attitude we need; he has the right heart and the right quality,” said Jaissle as he sipped an energy drink intended to replace the body’s lost electrolytes. If only he could find such a simple solution to filling the missing links left by Gordon, Tonali and Guimarães.At least Dan Burn is still around and will be Newcastle’s captain, with Joelinton as his deputy. The Brazilian, though, is injured and will miss the Liverpool game, while Burn was not involved here as Jaissle split his squad in two during a weekend that features another friendly here, against Strasbourg on Sunday.Leverkusen represented the new manager’s first match in charge at St James’ Park but it was hardly the ideal start. Inside a minute his team were behind.When Ibrahim Maza manoeuvred the ball on to his left foot in the area, Newcastle’s new goalkeeper, Lukas Hornicek, was powerless to resist the resultant shot. No matter that it was only a friendly, even Howe’s normally super-confident successor looked a little crestfallen.“It’s a big challenge,” he said. “It’s a big transition.”Jaissle cut a restless figure as he prowled the home technical area, sometimes straying far too far outside its confines for the liking of match officials.The good news for a coach who promises to prove more entertaining than his team – at least in their current incarnation – was that a reasonably strong starting XI improved incrementally during the first half and equalised shortly before half-time. Jaissle duly greeted Thiaw’s scoring header from Elanga’s corner with a prolonged bout of clapping.By then he could also reflect favourably on a positive contribution from the Miley brothers. While Lewis looked his customarily assured self in central midfield on his first appearance since breaking a leg last spring, Mason’s efforts at right-back frequently frustrated Leverkusen’s Miguel Gutiérrez.It seemed thoroughly fitting that the latter was showered with praise from his manager when, late in the second half, he hobbled off with cramp. With England’s Tino Livramento sidelined by calf trouble, Miley Jr is in real contention to start against Liverpool.Yet in eight days’ time another right-back, Benfica’s Amar Dedic, could well have been added to Newcastle’s roster. The 23-year-old, who can also operate at left-back, previously played for Jaissle at RB Salzburg and, on Saturday night, appeared close to finalising a move to Tyneside.Once that deal is done attention will doubtless turn to filling the midfield chasm left by Tonali and Guimarães.Although the 18-year-old Sean Steur – one of four players aged 20 or under signed by Newcastle since June – showed off some nice touches, the former Ajax prodigy betrayed his inexperience at times.Players with more mature presence are clearly required but Marseille’s Pierre-Emile Højbjerg has declined a £13m move to north-east England and João Palhinha is still to be persuaded to leave Bayern Munich in order to plug the leadership vacuum.On this evidence Leverkusen’s new manager, Carles Martínez, recently imported from Toulouse, might be reluctant to do a job swap with his Newcastle counterpart. Martínez’s side improved after the second-half introduction of the dangerous forward Patrick Schick and few Newcastle fans would argue the visitors did not deserve to win courtesy of Victor Boniface’s late rolled finish, with that opening created when the Nigerian expertly turned Steur.How Jaissle, who looks to still be fathoming out how to unlock Nick Woltemade’s real yet still latent talent, could do with similar attacking incision.Asked if Liverpool were arriving in Toon too soon, he initially replied: “We’ll do our best,” before turning upbeat. “We’ll keep using positivity,” he said. “I like these challenges. We are not concerned. I can’t wait.”

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Wembley curtain-raiser can offer clues but it is no reliable pointer to a season – its winners have not landed the title since 2018The doubt for anyone when a long-strived-for goal has been achieved is hunger. Arsenal waited 22 years for their 14th league title and, compounding the yearning, finished second three times in a row before finally lifting the Premier League trophy in May. The physical exertions of last season were immense – as seen by Declan Rice’s clear exhaustion and Bukayo Saka’s intermittent contributions at the World Cup, where William Saliba picked up a back injury – but so too was the emotional strain.The first weeks of a new season after a major tournament, especially the World Cup, are often a little erratic anyway, but this feels like a particularly unpredictable start to a campaign. Nine of the 20 Premier League clubs have changed manager this summer. For the first time in 40 years, none of the five big managerial beasts of the Premier League era – Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsène Wenger, José Mourinho, Jürgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola – will be in charge of a club. There are unknowns and uncertainty everywhere, even at Arsenal. Mikel Arteta may be the longest-serving manager in the league but there are questions even there; it would be no great surprise if Arsenal were to start slowly.Manchester City are at the other end of the scale, after two seasons that were disappointing by their extremely elevated recent standards, and with a new manager after a decade under Guardiola. Enzo Maresca may look like his predecessor and his football may look like a version of his predecessor’s – notably from that period when he was his assistant manager – but he arrives at City surrounded by questions. He led Leicester to promotion and won the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup with Chelsea, but fans of those clubs seemed unconvinced by the style of play. And while Chelsea clearly had problems with the balance of their squad, and got dramatically worse after he left, it wasn’t entirely clear he was making the best of the resources he had.The Community Shield is a first opportunity to make some kind of assessment of whether Arsenal’s hunger is as sharp as it was last season, and of how City’s squad are adapting to their new manager. It is, though, a largely ceremonial occasion, any lessons drawn to be taken with extreme caution. Not since 2018 have the winners of the Community Shield gone on to win the Premier League; in that sense, it’s a sort of anti-bellwether. Where it can give indicators as to the season ahead tends to be less in showcasing the strengths of a potential champion than in exposing the flaws that might bring a side low.This year is unlikely to bring a repeat of 1974, when the scrap between Kevin Keegan and Billy Bremner exposed both the Liverpool forward’s unease at the retirement of Bill Shankly and, more consequentially, the general loss of morale at Leeds after Brian Clough had succeeded Don Revie. Often the significance of the Community Shield is properly recognised only in retrospect. José Mourinho was clearly in a strange mood when he turned up for the 2015-16 game unshaven and in tracksuit bottoms and a baggy T-shirt before suffering his first ever defeat to Arsène Wenger. Few suspected, though, the chaos that was about to unspool at Chelsea, culminating with Mourinho’s dismissal that December.Last season, as Crystal Palace beat Liverpool on penalties after a 2-2 draw, there were abundant indications of what was to come, especially about Arne Slot’s side. Mohamed Salah seemed disconnected from the rest of the forward line. The defence was a mess. Twice they conceded equalisers. Whether they were recognised at the time is another matter; the difficulty is separating teething problems or a team being only partway through their preparation for the new season from longer-term issues that could still be undermining a team two or three months into the season.There are few obvious questions to which Sunday’s meeting could begin to offer answers. Bruno Guimarães came off the bench for Arsenal in Wednesday’s friendly against Como and could be involved, probably alongside Myles Lewis-Skelly in midfield. The 19-year-old has been prominent in pre-season after Declan Rice, Martín Zubimendi and Martin Ødegaard were given extended breaks after the World Cup, but he has been linked with a move. In that context, his celebration after scoring against Como, making a heart sign with his hands and tapping the badge, felt significant.After the sale of Leandro Trossard, the left side of Arsenal’s attack is in need of strengthening. Morgan Rogers went to Chelsea and Vinícius Júnior stayed at Real Madrid, but they did sign the 24-year-old Greece international Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge. Sunday offers an opportunity to see how he fits in, and whether Arsenal still need another option on that flank.For City, the biggest personnel issue probably surrounds the future of Rodri, whose proposed move to Barcelona is yet to materialise, which in turn leaves City hanging on a potential replacement. Enzo Fernández appears the preferred candidate but whether his comparative lack of physicality can be accommodated deep in midfield, even after the signing of the robust Elliot Anderson, remains to be seen.Tijjani Reijnders started friendlies against Inter and Atlético but is on his way to Al-Qadsiah while Bernardo Silva has joined Real Madrid, meaning a significant overhaul of midfield. Whether that includes Phil Foden in the long term is unclear. Since being named player of the year in 2024, he has struggled for form, but started the Inter and Atlético games. As others recover from the World Cup, the next few weeks offer an opportunity to reassert himself.Given he started only 11 games over the past two seasons, the departure of John Stones probably matters less from a footballing point of view than in the loss of a dressing-room leader. Without Stones and Silva – and Guardiola – the character of the squad cannot but be different.Sunday constitutes an opportunity to see both what the new City may look like, and how Arsenal have adapted, having at last won the title. But it’s only the Community Shield; any conclusions should be treated with appropriate caution.

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A round-up from the Scottish League Cup as Celtic eased through to the quarter-finals with 4-0 victory at Dundee United, Aberdeen beat Dundee, Kilmarnock won against Ayr United, while League One Ross County shocked Dunfermline.Camilo Duran scored his first goal for Celtic as they won at Tannadice Park to secure their place in Sunday's quarter-final draw.The Colombian striker fired into the net after Auston Trusty headed home from Benjamin Nygren's corner in the first half.Sebastian Tounekti fired low into the corner of the net, and Nygren curled in from the edge of the box to secure a comfortable win for last season's runners-up.New signings Mika Baur and Haissem Hassan came on for their club debuts ahead of Wednesday's Champions League qualifier against LASK at Celtic Park.Captain Kevin Nisbet's double set Aberdeen on their way to a comfortable 3-0 win over Dundee at Pittodrie.Nisbet struck in the 51st and 63rd minutes and Mitchy Ntelo grabbed a debut goal in between as the Dons blew Dundee away after the break to book a place in the quarter-finals.Dundee's cause was hampered by the loss of captain and striker Simon Murray to a knee injury during the first half of the second-round tie.Got Sky? Watch the Scottish Prem on your phoneRichard Chin's late strike secured the victory after Liam Lindsay had put them ahead after the break.Allan Oyirworth pulled Neil Lennon's Pars level with just 10 minutes to play, but Chin smashed the ball into the net in the 85th minute to secure County's place in Sunday's quarter-final draw.Kilmarnock were first through to the quarter-finals on Friday night when Nicky Clescenco scored a dramatic late winner as they came from behind to beat Ayrshire rivals Ayr United 3-2.Killie had suffered back-to-back defeats coming into the match and found themselves behind early on as Owen Stirton volleyed home before Joe Hugill equalised.Ross Taylor's sublime finish then stunned the home fans but Michael Schjonning-Larsen scored an impressive solo goal of his own to make it 2-2 with 10 minutes remaining.With the match seemingly heading towards an extra 30 minutes, the hosts completed the comeback when Clescenco showed superb composure to dink the ball home after Ayr goalkeeper Harry Stone had spilled a deep cross.

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xxxxSheffield United and Birmingham made an underwhelming start to the Championship season as they played out a goalless draw at Bramall Lane.Both sides have ambitions of mounting promotion challenges this campaign, but there was not too much to get excited about in this drab curtain-raiser where chances were at a premium.Blades boss Chris Wilder and Birmingham counterpart Chris Davies will both be hoping to add some extra quality into the squads before the end of the month.Optimism is always high at the start of a new season, but this was not a case of either side hitting the ground running as a tightly contested first half passed without either side managing a shot on target.The only action of note in the opening 45 minutes was a flurry of action just before the half-hour as both teams enjoyed their best moments.The Blades went first as Patrick Bamford hooked Femi Seriki's deflected cross just wide.Birmingham responded straight away and Alex Cochrane's cross was perfect for Paik Seung-ho, but the South Korean could not get enough on his header and the chance passed.Blues started the second half on the front foot and had a big moment in the 58th minute when Carlos Vicente was played through on goal, but his attempted pass was cut out by Japhet Tanganga when the better option was to shoot.The visitors began to turn the screw and produced the first shot on target in the 62nd minute when Jay Stansfield's low show was well kept out by Michael Cooper.Cooper then had a more routine save as Stansfield tried an optimistic effort from distance.Wilder's side got through that tricky period and began to launch their own attempt to win the game.Callum O'Hare sent Bamford clear into the area, but his shot was straight at Blues goalkeeper James Beadle, who saved with his feet.Neither side showed the quality required to break the deadlock in an opening encounter which will be soon forgotten.

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The 20-year-old French defender is expected to undergo a medical after a verbal agreement was reached for an initial £23.9m, with a further £1.7m in potential add-ons.Methalie made 28 appearances for Toulouse in Ligue 1 last season, scoring twice in his final three games, as they finished ninth.The deal follows a prolonged pursuit by Regis Le Bris' side as Sunderland look to strengthen their defence before the start of their Premier League campaign at Ipswich Town next Saturday (15:00 BST).The Black Cats will also compete in Europe for the first time in 53 years and are looking to add greater depth to their squad.Belgium right-back Thomas Meunier, who signed on a free transfer from Lille, remains the only completed transfer so far in the window for Sunderland.How much will Europe affect Sunderland's second season?Ask our team about Sunderland's transfer business

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Inter Milan have completed the signing of England full-back Djed Spence from Tottenham.Spence has signed a five-year deal with the Serie A champions, who are reportedly paying a fee of around 30m euros, external (£25.6m) for the 26-year-old.He is the second England player to join Inter this summer with John Stones moving to the San Siro after his Manchester City contract expired.Spence had all but confirmed the transfer earlier on Saturday, when he posted a farewell message to Spurs supporters across his social media accounts.In them he wrote: "A special chapter comes to an end, It's been some journey, with plenty of memories, moments and experiences that I'll carry with me for forever, especially that night in Bilbao."Thanks to all the staff members who've helped me along the way, the players who've become family and most importantly thank you to the fans. Time for a new chapter now, but Spurs will always have a place in my heart."Spence featured in all eight of England's games at the World Cup as Thomas Tuchel's side finished third.He made 44 appearances for Spurs in all competitions during the 2025-26 campaign, however, first-choice right-back Pedro Porro signed a new deal in June and left-back Andy Robertson has been brought in from Liverpool.Tottenham manager Roberto de Zerbi had said in July he wanted to convince Spence to stay at the club.Spence joined Spurs for an initial £12.5m from Middlesbrough in 2022 and made 85 appearances for the north London side, helping them to win the 2024-25 Europa League title.This will be Spence's second spell in Italy after a six-month loan at Genoa in 2024.Romero reflects on Spurs stay as Atletico move confirmedMoore double gives Spurs handsome Hoffenheim win

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Manchester United collapsed to a 4-2 defeat as Ruben Amorim’s AC Milan came from behind to win in Poland.Harry Maguire had opened the scoring in the second minute when he headed in from Bruno Fernandes' corner and when Amad Diallo came close to a second soon after it looked likely to be a difficult day for Amorim in his first meeting against his former club.But after Senne Lammens did well to keep out Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Goncalo Ramos laid an equaliser on for Samuel Chukwueze. United then squandered the opportunity to go in ahead at the interval when Fernandes had his firmly struck penalty well saved.Patrick Dorgu did seized on a sloppy back-pass by Filippo Terracciano to restore United's advantage but they were pegged back once more when Alphadjo Cisse ghosted in at the far post as Chukwueze tore Michael Carrick's team apart on the right for the Rossoneri.The winger set up Ramos to nod Milan in front for the first time and it was that same flank that was exposed when Ruben Loftus-Cheek made it four. With the Premier League season under way next weekend it was a little alarming how things unravelled.The introduction of the United substitutes did not help with Lisandro Martinez easing his way back after his World Cup exertions and Kobbie Mainoo also returning. Marcus Rashford came on too for his first appearance for his boyhood club in 20 months.2 - GOAL! Maguire heads in Fernandes' cornerGot Sky? Watch PL games on the Sky Sports appNot got Sky? Get instant access with no contract6 - CLOSE! Amad robs Pavlovic and is almost in15 - SAVE! Lammens does well to deny Loftus-Cheek37 - GOAL! Ramos sets up Chukwueze for a tap-in41 - PENALTY SAVED! Fernandes denied from the spot51 - GOAL! Dorgu seizes on poor pass to score57 - GOAL! Cisse ghosts in at the far post to level61 - SUB! Rashford on for first United game in 20 months68 - GOAL! Ramos nods in from Chukwueze's centre71 - GOAL! Loftus-Cheek nets after racing down the right

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Inter Milan have completed a £30m deal for England defender Djed Spence from Tottenham.The full-back was given permission to travel to Italy on Friday for a medical as negotiations between the two clubs continued. A deal for a total package of £30m has now been reached.Spence was a star of England's third-place finish at this summer's World Cup but was likely to find his opportunities limited at Spurs in the coming season, with Pedro Porro the first-choice right-back and Destiny Udogie, Andy Robertson, Souza and Ben Davies all able to play left-back.Inter have been looking for a new option at right-wing-back and turned their attention to Spence after struggling to strike a deal for Al Ittihad's Moussa Diaby.Spence had three years left on his contract at Spurs, with an option for a further year, but was keen on the move after enjoying a six-month loan spell with Genoa in Italy from January 2024.Spurs signed Spence from Middlesbrough in a deal worth up to £20m in July 2022.The defender took to X to pen a farewell to the club, writing: "A special chapter comes to an end."It's been some journey, with plenty of memories, moments and experiences that I'll carry with me for forever, especially that night in Bilbao."Thanks to all the staff members who've helped me along the way, the players who've become family and most importantly thank you to the fans."It's time for a new chapter, but Spurs will always have a place in my heart. COYS!!""Spence is a player Spurs fans will say they have seen his brilliance in flashes. You saw his brilliance at the World Cup with England."They may also think it is frustrating. They paid £12.5m for him from Middlesbrough in 2022, a deal that Daniel Levy did. They are getting more than two times what they paid for him."But they will also say it doesn't feel like a lot of money for a player who could be so important. Spurs have been preparing for this, though, and already have potential replacements in mind."