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COH Sports Bidco Limited (CSBL) agreed to purchase the Championship club for just over £100m in December 2024 but about £35m was still owed on the deal.A winding-up petition was filed last month against CSBL by United World - the club's former owners.CSBL - headed by United co-chairmen Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy - had no representation at the High Court hearing, which lasted about 10 seconds.A statement issued by the former owners said they had made "every effort to resolve this matter amicably" but had "received no response".A complex situation is clouded by the movement of shares in the club into a new company in June.As a separate company - not the football club - has been wound up, there is no automatic punishment from the EFL for an insolvency event.The EFL said it would consider the implications of CSBL's liquidation "including whether any further action is required"."In addition, the EFL continues to consider other regulatory matters following changes to the club's ownership structure and developments within the wider group," a spokesman added.So will the club really face a points penalty?Saudi Arabian Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad Al Saud bought 50% of Sheffield United in 2013, before acquiring the rest of the club in 2019.His time in charge was not without controversy, and he only secured the second 50% of the club following a long High Court battle.When United World - the company through which Prince Abdullah owned the club - sold to CSBL, the story did not end.The Blades were deducted two points during the 2024-25 season because of missed transfer payments under Prince Abdullah during 2022-23.CSBL made an initial payment upon close of sale, but the first instalment - due last year - was late and paid only after a statutory demand, and sent on the deadline.This High Court date came down to another £35m payment - a debt the new owners have not denied is outstanding.Here is where matters become complicated for the EFL and its regulations.In June, the shares in the club were transferred from CSBL into a new US-based company - 1919 Partners LLC - which became the "parent company of Sheffield United", external.In effect, CSBL no longer had any say in the running of the South Yorkshire club.Wednesday's court case was against CSBL, but there remains a clear link to the Blades through the new company.CSBL was led by Rosen and Eltoukhy, who control Sheffield United through 1919 Partners LLC.BBC Sport understands neither the EFL nor the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) had been made aware the share transfer was to take place and neither has commented on it.When approached by the BBC earlier this week, the IFR confirmed it was in contact with the club to ascertain more information.Sheff Utd held to goalless draw by Birmingham CityWhy Sheffield United could be deducted 12 pointsUnlike when a club goes into administration, a 'group undertaking' - a company rather than a club - suffering an insolvency event is a more nuanced situation.The regulations direct the EFL board to take into account a number of factors, including "the need to protect the integrity and continuity of the competition" and "the reputation of the league".As the High Court chose to wind up CSBL, the transfer of assets presents a clear question for the EFL.A club's owners could be considered to have moved shares into a new company to leave a sizeable purchase debt in the previous company, and effectively write it off.That alone could be considered a breach and result in sanctions from the EFL, and the board could choose to impose a 12-point deduction for an insolvency event.Though not a direct comparison, in 2009 Southampton were docked 10 points by the EFL after their parent company went into administration and the football club claimed there was not a financial link between the two.An investigation found the football club and the parent company were "inextricably linked as one economic entity", and the EFL applied its mandatory penalty.With CSBL now wound up, and an unpaid debt used to buy the football club in the hands of the administrators, Sheffield United face the very real prospect of a points deduction.It could yet be that Eltoukhy and Rosen move to settle the debt.But the insolvency event will be an evidence-based judgement by the EFL board.Pre-match, post-match and topical Blades contentListen on SoundsSubscribe and listen for everything you love about the BladesLatest Sheffield United news, analysis and fan views

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He is replacing a World Cup winner and is his country’s first Premier League keeper, but Villa’s new signing has already dealt with harder challengesIn November 2001, the first Japanese goalkeeper to play English league football conceded a goal within the first minute of his debut. Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi may have struggled for second-tier Portsmouth, conceding 21 times in his 12 games after being spotted by the then-director of football, Harry Redknapp, but he also produced some world-class saves and had glowing things to say about the Royal Mail.Replaced by a 42-year-old Dave Beasant, Kawaguchi nevertheless remains a cult hero on the south coast as a standing ovation in his final game demonstrated. Despite going on to play 116 times for Japan, he never made the jump to the Premier League. Now though, finally, Japan has a number one in the top flight.Zion Suzuki has big gloves to fill at Aston Villa where he is set to take over from Emiliano Martínez. In terms of mentality and self-belief, succeeding a World Cup winner at a Champions League club will not be an issue. The 23-year-old has already overcome plenty of barriers.If much has changed in Japanese football in a quarter of a century, the same can be said of the past 30 months or so since the Asian Cup when the US-born shotstopper made a number of errors as Japan, the continent’s No 1 team, crashed out at the quarter-final stage. While some of his teammates did not exactly impress in Qatar, it was Suzuki who copped the blame.That was tough enough to take for any goalkeeper, let alone a 20-year-old, but there was another level. The player with a Japanese mother and a Ghanaian-American father became the target of racist abuse online. “I’ve received [discriminatory comments] since elementary school, but I won’t give in to them,” Suzuki said. “I could have pretended to ignore [the messages], but I wanted to share my story in the hope that it could help not only soccer players, but athletes and young children with all kinds of roots.”There are an increasing number of Japanese sports stars with mixed ethnic origin — tennis’s Naomi Osaka and the NBA’s Rui Hachimura, for example — and in football Suzuki is the highest-profile. After a short spell with Urawa Reds, one of Japan and Asia’s biggest clubs, in August 2023 he left for a season in Belgium with Sint-Truiden. It went so well that, 12 months later, there was a five-year deal with Parma where he quickly established himself.One of the strongest goalkeepers around, his athleticism and shot-stopping is not in doubt, as he showed during the World Cup with a low save from Vinícius Júnior catching the eye. His positioning can still improve but he is good in the air (second in Serie A last season for crosses caught and high claims) and on the ground (second for successful long passes).Adapting to England’s congested six-yard areas may take time and dominating the box like Martínez may take more. Since the Asian Cup, he has barely put a glove wrong for Japan and, despite a few mistakes at Parma, he was the main man between the sticks from when he joined until, well, Wednesday morning. Now, if Unai Emery can do what he does best then there is serious potential.Suzuki can now help change the perception of Asian goalkeepers on a stage with a bigger global reach than Italy can offer. Attackers such as Son Heung-min and Kaoru Mitoma have lit up the Premier League and Abdukodir Khusanov has recovered from a dodgy start at Manchester City to become one of the league’s top defenders, but goalkeepers from Asia have not been common in England’s top flight.There was Oman’s Ali Al-Habsi, who played in the Premier League for Bolton and Wigan, impressing for the former against Bayern Munich in the Uefa Cup. Neil Etheridge of the Philippines played every game for Cardiff in 2018-19. Overall, though, it is slim pickings.The World Cup did not help. At crucial times, Iraq, Uzbekistan and Jordan looked like they could get results but then a goalkeeping error saw potential points lost. South Korean football has gone into meltdown since the World Cup but had Kim Seung-gyu, usually a solid No 1, not dropped a clanger against Mexico then South Korea could have sealed a knockout stage spot with a game still to play and all the fallout may have been avoided.While that is a lot to put on the powerful shoulders of the Samurai Blue stopper, he can make a difference. Despite being a trailblazer in Serie A, with Italian football still regarded, perhaps nostalgically in Asia, as the home of the strong defence and solid goalkeeper, his every move in Italy was not followed even back in Japan. This will be different. Success in the Premier League would not just be a big deal for Suzuki and Aston Villa.

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In June, Liverpool rejected a verbal offer of 25m euros (£21.7m) from Italian champions Inter, with Liverpool valuing the 25-year-old, who has one year left on his current contract, at about £35m.The understanding now is that a deal worth £30m will likely see an agreement between the clubs. Sources in Italy believe that a verbal agreement is in place but both clubs say that further details need discussion.Liverpool are open to selling Jones and want something in line with the £30m package that Inter paid Tottenham for Djed Spence.The Serie A side were interested in Jones in January and proposed a loan with a view to a transfer but that was turned down by Liverpool.Jones has made 228 appearances for Liverpool since making his debut under Jurgen Klopp in 2019. Last season, he played 49 times in all competitions but only made 18 starts in the Premier League and struggled to secure a regular starting spot in midfield under Arne Slot.Jones, who joined Liverpool's academy at the age of nine, is understood to be keen on pursuing a new challenge and would become the third English player to join the Italian champions this summer, after John Stones and Spence.Latest Liverpool news, analysis and fan viewsAsk about Liverpool - what do you want to know?

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Arsenal have agreed a £51m deal to sign Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa.Arsenal are currently looking for a new defender with William Saliba out for an extended period of time, with Jurrien Timber also sidelined with a long-term groin problem.The Gunners' interest in Konsa has lasted all summer with Villa initially valuing him at £60m - a valuation Arsenal were unwilling to meet.The 28-year-old, who had two years remaining on his contract at Villa, was not part of Unai Emery's squad for the UEFA Super Cup defeat to Paris Saint-Germain last week.If there's one thing you need to know about Mikel Arteta, it's that he loves players that win duels. Nobody was better at it than Ezri Konsa last season.The England international won more duels on the ground than any other Premier League player last season - finishing quite some distance ahead of his nearest challengers Virgil van Dijk and Gabriel - who looks set to be his team-mate next season.Stream the Premier League with no contractArsenal are in need of defensive reinforcement this summer with both William Saliba and Jurrien Timber both out injured, so need a player who can cover both right-back and centre-back roles.The Gunners do have Cristhian Mosquera and Ben White as cover in those roles - and both performed well in the Community Shield win over Manchester City - but the latter has a difficult injury record over the last two seasons.Arsenal also saw the importance of having good depth at right-back when Mosquera was forced to start the Champions League final with PSG out of position - which then resulted in the young Spaniard conceding a penalty.Should a move for Konsa be completed, Arsenal have filled an important part of their team - and would be very close to completing their transfer window from an incomings point of view.Can they find the forward player they have been looking the whole window for?Arteta is excited to keep building Arsenal after their Premier League win, vowing to make them "the best club in the world"."It's certainly the ambition of the club and the owners to be the best club in the world," he told Sky Sports at a Premier League launch event ahead of their Friday night opener against Coventry, live on Sky."In order to do that, you need the best facilities, the best stadium, the best supporters, and you need the best squad and the best players in the world."Those are the ones that win you football matches and the ones that can be decisive when it matters."That's what we try to build with the actual players that we have, and with the players that we want to sign to make the difference for Arsenal."Arsenal go into the season as outright favourites to retain their title, with that status further underlined by their comfortable 3-0 win over Manchester City in Sunday's Community Shield. Arteta, however, says he is more than comfortable with the position of being the frontrunners."This is part of our industry, and that's okay," he said. "For me, it's when I look into the eyes of my players and I see that fire, that desire and the will to be better every single day. That's the only thing that I care about."The weight of history is against Arsenal defending their trophy, however. Arsenal have not defended the top-flight title since the 1930s. It is another milestone Arteta is keen to overcome."That's an opportunity that we have ahead, and we are very conscious of what it's going to take to deliver that," he said. "But I feel the ambition, I feel the desire, and I feel the ability and the conviction around the team that we can do it."

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Manchester United reporterPublished2 minutes agoManchester United's midfield reconstruction is nearing completion.After signing Andrey Santos from Chelsea and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa in the space of 24 hours of each other last month, there has been an element of 'will-they, won't-they' about the past five weeks.At times, it felt the 'third midfielder' search has taken on a life of its own.Real Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni was heavily touted, so too Bournemouth's Alex Scott and Roma's Manu Kone. In more recent days, the name of Fulham's Sander Berge has become more prominent. That of Bournemouth's Tyler Adams has never gone away.United privately played down potential interest in Brighton's Carlos Baleba.But in a sense, they didn't need to be actively interested in him. Most of the work was done 12 months ago.Now the first offer has gone in; £60m, plus an additional £5m. It won't be enough.Talks are continuing though and the expectation is the transfer will get done.It is impossible to assess the merits of the actual transfers until the individuals concerned have played often enough to evaluate how well they have done.However, it is fair to accept United's data and recruitment department have succeeded in reshaping Michael Carrick's midfield.It was known in January veteran Brazilian Casemiro would leave when his contract expired on 30 June. Ruben Amorim's exit had already seen skipper Bruno Fernandes move into a more advanced role.With Manuel Ugarte not rated highly despite his £50.8m price tag, it meant United went into the summer with Kobbie Mainoo as the only experienced midfielder likely to play a prominent part in the 2026-27 season.Mainoo's strength is taking the ball in tight spaces and progressing it up the pitch. Santos has screened the defence excellently in pre-season. Tielemans has composure, an excellent passing range, and is determined to increase his goals output.What the defeat by AC Milan in Wroclaw at the weekend highlighted was a lack of energy; a player in the old box-to-box mould. Baleba's main strength is his ability to cover the ground quickly.If the deal goes through, and when Baleba has recovered from an ankle injury sustained in pre-season that is expected to keep him out for another couple of weeks, Carrick will have variety and options, which also include Mason Mount, Scotland World Cup squad member Tyler Fletcher and, in extremis, Fernandes.The Baleba situation also highlights a strategic change.In the past, United have almost trailed the players they want to sign, then spent ages trying to complete a deal – or not.Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong was a case in point in 2022. Erik ten Hag felt certain he could do the deal even though United's recruitment staff were being told it was impossible.It was well into August before the club admitted defeat; with defeats by Brighton and Brentford triggering the £70m deal for Casemiro.This summer, there has been stealth behind their work. It suited them for talk around England's Elliot Anderson to obscure what they were thinking around initial midfield targets as they knew the Nottingham Forest man would be financially beyond their reach.The Santos deal was wrapped up within a week. The Tielemans one was less than that.There has been consideration given to Mount being the 'third midfielder' because of his exceptional form in the early part of pre-season.However, although his early exit in the encounter with Paris St-Germain in Gothenburg on 8 August was described as 'precautionary', Mount has still to return from the foot injury, which would only have heightened concerns around his injury record.Baleba was supposedly off the radar as a third midfielder. Tchouameni, Scott, Kone, Berge and Adams were the ones being monitored. Now United have made their move, it would be a surprise if the transfer was not concluded swiftly.Evidently, Old Trafford's recruitment plans are now being controlled to a far tighter degree than was previously the case.Of the four players they signed in 2025, striker Benjamin Sesko and goalkeeper Senne Lammens were the only two who were not bought from Premier League clubs.The ease with which Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha settled into their new surroundings must have played a part in shaping thinking at Old Trafford this summer.Cunha and Tielemans had release clauses. Mbeumo and Santos did not, neither does Baleba.There is an argument buying from Premier League clubs costs more because they are all relatively rich. The premium, in theory, limits the risk of players failing to settle. It seems Manchester United feel the extra is worth paying."We want more, we need more," Carrick stressed last week.Baleba cannot be the end. It is accepted the need for a new left-back is acute.No-one knows who it will be at this stage. But it is fair to assume there will be one.How Carrick's Man Utd are shaping up for Premier League seasonMan Utd will reject any bid for FernandesMan Utd close on deal for Brighton's Baleba

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Mourinho: Madrid made midfielder ‘a very good offer’Spain captain chose to join Barcelona instead for £65.4mJosé Mourinho has confirmed Real Madrid made Rodri an offer and that he spoke to him about joining the club, but claimed the player’s doubts about the transfer made him unsure about signing Spain’s World Cup-winning captain.On the same day Rodri was presented at Barcelona following the completion of a €75m (£65.4m) move from Manchester City that the midfielder said was “always my first choice”, Mourinho insisted he would not miss the him at the Santiago Bernabéu. “I spoke to him a couple of times and Real Madrid made him a very good offer,” Mourinho said in an interview with El Chiringuito.“Without negotiating with City, the club were in contact with Rodri and made him an important offer. Rodrigo had doubts, he doubted. And his doubts created doubts in me. He is an extraordinary player and he behaved in the right way with us. I have nothing bad to say. But Real Madrid are so big that you can’t have players who have to think twice. You get in touch with a player and the player says: ‘When do I go?’ That’s how it works.”Rodri had three offers to leave City after the World Cup, from Paris Saint-Germain, Real and Barcelona. Having ruled out PSG because he wanted to return to Spain, the 30-year-old eventually chose Barcelona, where he will join eight of his international teammates. When it was put to Mourinho that the move could be seen as a victory for Barcelona over their great rivals, he replied: “Victories are on the pitch, trophies”.Real have not signed an alternative midfielder, despite their pursuit of Rodri and that being a clear hole in a team that has failed to win a major trophy in the past two seasons. Mourinho feels sure, however, that he does not need to bring in any further players. “I am not saying that there will not be any more signings because the market is still open, but if you ask me directly whether the squad is complete, for me yes it is,” said the 63-year-old ahead of his second stint managing in Madrid. “It’s complete, closed. I like [my squad] a lot.“I don’t miss Rodrigo. We have solutions, we have quality, we have players who maybe you look at and you judge them on what they have done [before] but I like to think that I have the ability to improve players. A player that is one thing today can be a different player tomorrow.”

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6 CommentsPromoted Coventry City have signed teenage forward Sidiki Cherif from Turkish side Fenerbahce.The 19‑year‑old, who was born in Guinea and moved to France when he was five, has joined the Sky Blues on a long‑term deal after finishing last season with two goals in 12 Turkish Super Lig appearances for Fenerbahce, having moved there from French side Angers on loan with an obligation to buy.Coventry have backed boss Frank Lampard in the transfer window, with significant deals executed for the likes of Caleb Yirenkyi, Carl Rushworth, Loum Tchaouna, Aurele Amenda and Taiwo Awoniyi, as well as a club-return for Gustavo Hamer.Cherif said: "I'm very happy to be a Coventry City player and I'm excited to be playing in the Premier League."I'm looking forward to showing the fans what I can do and to play at the amazing stadium."I can't wait to get started."Cherif has played in the Uefa Europa League and in this season's Uefa Champions League qualifiers prior to his arrival at the Coventry Building Society Arena.Cherif began his career in France and made his professional debut for Angers in the 2023-24 season.Angers won promotion to Ligue 1 in 2024, and the teenager began to really make his mark early in the 2025-26 season, scoring four Ligue 1 goals by the end of December.His performances caught the eye of suitors around Europe before Cherif, who has had call ups to the France Under-16 and Under-21 squads, completed his switch to Turkey.Latest Coventry City news, analysis and fan viewsSend in your Coventry questions using Ask Me Anything

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Sports editorPublished13 minutes agoEveryone in the Premier League wants clarity and a speedy resolution in the case against Manchester City which features more than 100 alleged breaches of its financial rules, says Arsenal chief executive Richard Garlick.An independent commission is yet to publish a ruling, more than a year and a half after a disciplinary hearing concluded, and three and a half years since City were first charged.When asked if the length of time the process was taking was frustrating Arsenal, Garlick told BBC Sport: "It has gone on for a while."Everybody - the league and the teams - would want the clarity around what's going to happen next."But it's not something that I can control. It's not something that I can speculate on."And I just hope that there is a solution very quickly."Garlick's comments come on the eve of the new season and after Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: "I do accept it's taking longer than expected, and I understand that people want to find out as soon as possible what's going on, but I simply can't provide that."Describing the case as "hugely complex", Masters added: "Our rules are very clear - we have to follow the process, and there's only one real clear route through, which is to allow that process to reach its natural conclusion."Privately, officials at a host of other Premier League clubs BBC Sport has spoken to in the past 24 hours have also expressed their frustrations, while acknowledging that this is an independent process which is running on its own timetable.One said the Premier League should be "actively seeking to put in place a better system" to ensure speedier resolutions.Another made the point that given that the league spent £45m on legal bills during the 2023–24 season on disputes over its financial regulations, there are mounting concerns at the spiralling costs of such a long legal fight.The charges City are contesting relate to the:alleged failure to provide accurate financial information, including details for player and manager payments, from 2009-10 to 2017-18 seasonsalleged failure to comply with Uefa's financial fair play (FFP) rules from 2013-14 to 2017-18alleged breaches of Premier League's profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) from 2015-16 to 2017-18.City also face multiple charges that they failed to co-operate with the Premier League's investigation between December 2018 and February 2023.Champions Arsenal were Premier League runners-up to City in both 2023 and in 2024 when they were beaten by just two points.Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham reportedly served legal notices on City in 2024 reserving the right to seek compensation if the club are found guilty, with some said to have estimated potential losses of more than £100m.They may also have been encouraged by Everton being told in June that they must pay Burnley £35m in compensation over the impact of a breach of the Premier League's financial rules.Listen: Premier League CEO on FIFA crisis, City's charges & World Cup expansionAnalysisWhile most would argue that Garlick is simply articulating how almost everyone in English football feels about the length of time this saga has hung over the Premier League, it is still rare for a senior figure at a top club to break ranks and say anything publicly about the case.Last year, the former Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy said it had gone on for "far too long", but until now that was an isolated intervention.It is no surprise that City's rivals are frustrated.The club has spent £151m so far this summer transfer window, including a club record £116m for England midfielder Elliot Anderson.They have also spent almost £700m on new players since being charged in February 2023, and have won six major trophies in that time.Meanwhile, they - and other clubs - remain in limbo.Meanwhile, Garlick insists Arsenal are not actively seeking to sell homegrown talents like Myles Lewis-Skelly or Ethan Nwaneri, but that the Premier League champions would "consider" the "right opportunity" for both the players and the club.Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri - both 19 years old - have been linked with summer moves away, including to rival clubs in the Premier League.Arsenal preference is for Nwaneri to leave on loanThe new rules mean clubs can spend 85% of their revenues on fees, wages and contracts but the number drops to 70% for clubs competing in Europe.When asked if the club needed to sell players to help comply, Garlick said: "Every club now has adopted a player-trading model. The way in which football is and the fees involved, it makes sense for you to trade players and to generate revenues through those sales."I won't say it's a necessity, but it's only a matter of good housekeeping that you do look at those opportunities when they arise, and as long as they're right for the club, then that's something that we will explore."When asked if he wanted Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri to stay at Arsenal, he said: "I can't stop other clubs being interested. Myles had a fantastic end to last season and has started this one really well. We're very, very happy with him."Ethan has had a great pre-season as well and it's just a case of looking at what opportunities there are that will help both of those in terms of their career moving forward."We are not actively looking at selling those homegrown players but if the right opportunity came up - right for them and the club - we'd obviously consider that."Despite signing Bruno Guimaraes, Arsenal have tried and failed to bring in Vinicius Jr and missed out on Morgan Rogers this summer in what has been a muddled transfer window, but Garlick remains hopeful of further additions "that are going to improve the club"."As you are competing for Premier League titles or Champions League trophies, you need to bring in a certain calibre of player. And I think that that pool of players is smaller now than maybe it was a few years ago," he said."We've got a really competitive squad and if the opportunity came again in the next couple of weeks for us to add a player that's going to improve Arsenal, then we will look at that."Garlick also expressed confidence around the contract status of manager Mikel Arteta, with the title-winning manager into the final 12 months of his current deal."Mikel wants to be at Arsenal, we want Mikel at Arsenal," he said."It's only a matter of time before we put that into a new contract. Everyone is confident and calm. We're just navigating a transfer window and I'm sure Mikel's contract will be resolved shortly."Latest Arsenal news, analysis and fan viewsAsk about Arsenal - what do you want to know?

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Bid short of Brighton’s valuation for midfielderCameroon international was a United target last summerManchester United are confident of signing Brighton’s Carlos Baleba for less than £75m, with the 22-year-old midfielder having agreed personal terms. United have made an initial offer of £60m plus £5m add-ons for Baleba, which is below Brighton’s valuation.Baleba has been a target for United since last summer, when Brighton valued him at about £100m. The Cameroon international’s price has dropped after his largely uneven performances last season. Baleba, who has an ankle injury, would be United’s third midfielder recruit of the summer, after Youri Tielemans, who was signed for £35m from Aston Villa, and Andrey Santos, who arrived for £48 from Chelsea.Baleba, whose preference is to play as a No 6, would add dynamism and energy to United’s engine room, and compete with Santos for a starting berth.United, whose opening Premier League fixture is at Hull on Saturday, remain in the market for a left-back. Newcastle’s Lewis Hall and Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly are high on the list of candidates.

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Tottenham hope to sign as many as three new forwards before the transfer deadline.Spurs' ideal end to the window is to buy Savinho from Manchester City, Cody Gakpo from Liverpool and a new centre-forward.Savinho is ready to join Tottenham but City want to sign a replacement and the departures of Rodri and Tijjani Reijnders in the last week have dominated proceedings in Manchester.Spurs are also waiting for Liverpool to sign Bradley Barcola and - potentially - his Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Ibrahim Mbaye before they bid for Gakpo on top of Savinho.If they cannot get Gakpo, Spurs are believed to be ready to pursue other targets with interest in Pedro Neto at Chelsea.There has been speculation that Gakpo could also be seen as a choice at No 9 for Roberto De Zerbi; however, although it will be considered if he joins, it is not their primary plan.Stream the Premier League with no contractSpurs want to sign a new out-and-out goalscoring centre-forward and someone who can also link up the entire forward line.Omar Marmoush at City is one on their list but - again - the Manchester club would need to replace him.In theory, that means Spurs could make up to nine first-team signings this summer, despite having already spent more than £200m.Tottenham have spent more than £200m on six first-team players already this summer. They spent £185m on two midfielders, Sandro Tonali and Matheus Fernandes, from Newcastle and West Ham respectively.Jan Paul van Hecke, meanwhile, joined from Brighton for £52m to replace Cristian Romero. Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson and Martin Dubravka all arrived on free transfers.

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In his latest column, Paul Merson predicts the 2026/27 Premier League season at both ends of the table.The new season kicks off on Friday as champions Arsenal host promoted Coventry City, with six games live on Sky Sports over the course of the opening weekend.Merson has picked his top six, assessed the contenders for relegation and selected one team to overachieve and upset the big boys this season...I just can't see anybody stopping Arsenal. They'll win it quite comfortably. I don't see a single weakness in them regarding the Premier League.They do have a few weaknesses in the Champions League but for the Premier League, they remind me of when Manchester City first started dominating the league: two players in every position.William Saliba and Gabriel are unbelievable but then Cristhian Mosquera comes in and you wouldn't even think Saliba was missing. Jurrien Timber is out but Ben White comes in and keeps Jeremy Doku quiet.