And that’s it for today. Hope you enjoyed the blog. It’s just what we do, mate. Surely Ange Postecoglou will pop up again somewhere very soon while watch this space for Tottenham’s next manager, with Brentford bracing themselves for an approach for Thomas Frank. Byeee.
A quick note on potentially the biggest transfer move of the summer – Florian Wirtz to Liverpool. A fresh update is doing the rounds after reports in Germany.
BREAKING: Florian Wirtz to Liverpool is considered a done deal. He will earn €22M per season. Negotiations between the clubs regarding the transfer fee are also nearing completion. He could have his medical next week. Bild via @AnfieldSector pic.twitter.com/35W4oM3UaE
— DaveOCKOP (@DaveOCKOP) June 6, 2025
A quick shout out for Football Daily. Obviously, this was before Ange’s sacking although Spain 5-4 France seems a nice way to link to the previous post which mentioned Ossie Ardiles’ Spurs.
Ange Postecoglou by the numbers. This is how he got on during his two years and 101 matches in charge of Tottenham.
Won 47
Drawn 15
Lost 39
Lowest points tallies in a Premier League season:
38 Ange Postecoglou (2024/25)
44 Gerry Francis/Christian Gross (1997/98)
45 Ossie Ardiles (1993/94)
45 Glen Hoddle/David Pleat (2003/04)
Alan Shearer, for one, isn’t impressed by Ange Postecoglou’s sacking. Here’s his response to the Spurs statement.
What a stupid game football is!!!! https://t.co/FzR21Aa3iC
— Alan Shearer (@alanshearer) June 6, 2025
Ange signed off his statement with a bit of latin. Audere est Facer – “to dare is to do”.
Statement from Ange Postecoglou pic.twitter.com/V8U4pwaaQn
— CAA Base (@CAABase) June 6, 2025
Postecoglou issues statement on Tottenham sacking
And now it’s time for Ange to say his piece…
“When I reflect on my time as Manager of Tottenham Hotspur my overriding emotion is one of pride. The opportunity to lead one of England’s historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime.
“Sharing that experience with all those who truly love this club and seeing the impact it had on them is something I will never forget. That night in Bilbao was the culmination of two years of hard work, dedication and unwavering belief in a dream.
“There were many challenges to overcome and plenty of noise that comes with trying to accomplish what many said was not possible. We have also laid foundations that mean this club should not have to wait 7 more years for their next success.
“I have enormous faith in this group of players and know there is much more potential and growth in them.
“I sincerely want to thank those who are the lifeblood of the club, the supporters. I know there were some difficult times but I always felt that they wanted me to succeed and that gave me all the motivation I needed to push on.
“It’s important to acknowledge the hard working people at Spurs who gave me encouragement on a daily basis.
“And finally, I want to thank those who were with me every day for the last two years. A fantastic group of young men who are now legends of this football club and the brilliant coaches who never once doubted we could do something special.
“We are forever connected. Audere est Facere.”
Full Postecoglou statement from Tottenham
Here’s the full statement from the Tottenham website. At one point it notes: “We recorded 78 points from the last 66 PL games. This culminated in our worst-ever PL finish last season.”
The other damning sentence is: “It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond.”
Anyway, here it is in full:
“Following a review of performances and after significant reflection, the Club can announce that Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties.
“Ange joined us from Celtic in the summer of 2023 and oversaw a period of change on the pitch, returning us to the attacking brand of football that has traditionally been associated with the Club, while writing a new chapter in our history by leading us to UEFA Europa League glory in Bilbao last month - an achievement that will live with us all forever.
“We are extremely grateful to Ange for his commitment and contribution during his two years at the Club. Ange will always be remembered as only the third manager in our history to deliver a European trophy, alongside legendary figures Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw.
“However, the Board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the Club for a change to take place. Following a positive start in the 2023/24 Premier League (PL) season, we recorded 78 points from the last 66 PL games. This culminated in our worst-ever PL finish last season. At times there were extenuating circumstances - injuries and then a decision to prioritise our European campaign. Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the Club’s greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph.
“It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond. This has been one of the toughest decisions we have had to make and is not a decision that we have taken lightly, nor one we have rushed to conclude. We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward, not the easy decision.
“We have a talented, young squad and Ange has given us a great platform to build upon. We should like to express our gratitude to him. We wish him well for the future - he will always be welcome back at our home.
“News on the appointment of a new Head Coach will be announced in due course.”
Updated
Tottenham have now officially announced Ange Postecoglou’s departure on social media with a graphic showing nine Ange’s of different sizes.
We are extremely grateful to Ange for his commitment and contribution during his two years at the Club.
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) June 6, 2025
Ange will always be remembered as only the third manager in our history to deliver a European trophy.
Thank you Ange 🤍 pic.twitter.com/gT6deIaa5e
Updated
Ange Postecoglou getting the sack. Fair? Unfair? It’s very reasonable to see it from both sides, even though we’re in an age of furiously nailing opinions to a particular side of the line.
It depends how you view the number 17 I guess.
He ended Tottenham’s 17-year trophy drought
He led Spurs to to an abysmal 17th in the Premier League
Official: Tottenham sack Postecoglou
Ange has gone. It’s now been confirmed. Story here…
Updated
Tottenham’s latest tweet appears to be Archie Gray looking into a crystal ball. What did he see? Did he see this coming?
Archie Gray has been named in the England U21s squad for this summer’s European Championships 🏴
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) June 6, 2025
Go well, Archie! 💪 pic.twitter.com/3XHQWm8qDC
Several bookmakers are offering prices on the next Tottenham manager and Thomas Frank is a clear odds-on favourite when checking the current lists.
Brentford boss Frank is 1/2, with Fulham’s Marco Silva next, some way back at 5/1. Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner is around 10/1 although one layer has Michael Carrick at 8/1 after he was let go by Middlesbrough earlier this week.
Reports: Postecoglou sacked by Tottenham
Sky Sports are reporting that Tottenham have sacked manager Ange Postecoglou.
More on this as it unfolds obviously although note that less than a couple of hours ago we reported that Spurs had met with intermediaries to discuss a potential move for Brentford’s Thomas Frank.
Updated
Investigation into breakaway European Super League launched
An agreement UEFA reached with nine clubs who had been part of a breakaway European Super League is being investigated by the Spanish competition authorities.
Twelve clubs – including the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ announced their intention to form a Super League in April 2021 but the plan had collapsed within 72 hours as all but three announced they were withdrawing.
Those nine – again including the six English teams – reached an agreement with UEFA the following month, committing them to UEFA’s competitions and undertaking to accept fines of 100m euros each if they sought to join an unauthorised competition in the future.
The National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC) said on Friday it was looking at that agreement for possible conduct contrary to European competition law, saying it had found “substantial evidence” of a breach.
“The CNMC is investigating a UEFA agreement with nine football clubs to prevent them from organising or participating in European competitions other than their own,” a statement on the CNMC website said.
“The body also reportedly adopted a series of measures to ensure the clubs complied with these restrictions. The agreement was signed after UEFA announced that it could exclude teams from its competitions and/or impose various measures on them.
“After analysing the information gathered during the confidential information phase, (CNMC) identified substantial evidence of potential violations of Articles 1 and 2 of the LDC, as well as Articles 101 and 102 of the TFEU.”
The CNMC said the opening of the case did not prejudge the outcome and that it could take up to two years to resolve the matter. The investigation followed an initial complaint from A22, a company set up to promote the Super League concept.
A spokesperson for A22 said of Friday’s announcement: “This is a sensible and timely action consistent with the December 2023 ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) which found that UEFA and FIFA breached European competition law. This ruling confirmed that independent promoters such as A22 are fully entitled to create and organise pan-European club football competitions.”
The UEFA authorisation rules which were used to block the formation of the Super League were found to be contrary to European law by the CJEU, but had already been updated prior to the 2023 verdict.
UEFA said at the time of the CJEU verdict that it had developed its new authorisation rules in consultation with the European Commission. UEFA has been contacted for a response to the CNMC announcement.
(PA Media)
Updated
Championship transfer news. A couple of incomings for two sides who need a lift after disappointing finishes last season – 13th-placed Norwich and 14th-placed Watford.
Goalkeeper Daniel Grimshaw has joined Norwich on three-year deal. The 27-year-old arrives at the Canaries from Plymouth on a contract running until summer 2028 and has previously worked with new boss Liam Manning at Belgian outfit Lommel SK.
Grimshaw began his career at Manchester City and spent three seasons at Blackpool before moving to Plymouth, where he made 21 Championship appearances last season.
Watford have confirmed their third summer signing following the arrival of Marc Bola on a three-year contract. The 27-year-old left-back joins from Turkish team Samsunspor and has had previous stints with Blackpool and Middlesbrough.
(PA Media)
Roma appoint Gasperini
Roma have confirmed the appointment of Gian Piero Gasperini as the club’s new head coach. Gasperini announced his departure from Atalanta last week after nine years at the club. He bowed out by guiding them to third and a Champions League spot – two places above his new club, who will play in the Europa League next season.
Roma’s website says: “Gasperini’s career is defined by its creative tactics, dedication to hard work, and exceptional player development. Both Ownership and Claudio Ranieri believe Gasperini is the right man for the mission. Welcome to the Club Mister! Forza Roma!”
✍ Gian Piero Gasperini è il nuovo Responsabile Tecnico della Prima Squadra.
— AS Roma (@OfficialASRoma) June 6, 2025
📄 https://t.co/47L6WgvbMs #ASRoma
Scotland v Iceland: Some stats to impress family and friends with ahead of tonight’s friendly international.
Scotland have won all six of their previous meetings with Iceland, only holding better 100%-win rates against Cyprus (9) and San Marino (8).
This will be Iceland’s first visit to Hampden Park since a 2-1 defeat in World Cup qualifying in April 2009, with Steven Fletcher and Ross McCormack scoring their first international goals for Scotland.
Scotland have won just one of their last eight home games in all competitions (D3 L4), having won six in a row at Hampden Park prior.
Iceland have lost each of their last three games in all competitions, last losing more consecutively between October 2020 and March 2021 (7 in a row).
Despite losing 3-0 last time out to Greece, Scotland have won three of their last four matches, after winning just one of 16 games prior across all competitions (D5 L10).
Since the start of 2023, Scott McTominay has scored more than double the number of goals any other player has for Scotland (11 – John McGinn, 5). The Serie A MVP has netted in three of his last four national team appearances when facing an opponent for the first time: vs Switzerland, Portugal and Greece.
It’s Tony Yeboah’s birthday today. Happy 59th to the former Leeds star! A video here of his top five goals. I think we know what the top two are but always a pleasure to watch them again.
Northern Ireland: Paddy McNair has been ruled out of the friendlies against Denmark and Iceland with a groin injury. The 30-year-old, capped 75 times, took part in a training camp in Marbella earlier this week but did not travel to Copenhagen for Saturday’s game against Denmark, returning to San Diego FC.
Michael O’Neill was already working with a very young squad – 12 of the now 25 players remaining are aged 21 or under – and McNair’s withdrawal has cost the manager his most experienced player for the final phase of preparations for their World Cup qualifying campaign.
“(Alongside) George (Saville), he’s our most senior player, he’s our most capped player in this group of players,” O’Neill said. “He’s obviously gone into a new chapter in his career as well, going to the MLS. I think he’s in a good place because San Diego have had a great start to their first season in MLS, but I think that the squad has to learn to deal with that.
“I think that whilst we’re young, the players are getting used to playing in these types of games and this is the reason we take these types of games so that they are ready to deal with this level of opposition.”
Northern Ireland have lost just three of their last 13 internationals, a run that started with a 2-0 win over Denmark in Belfast in November 2023 – a few months after a frustrating night in Copenhagen that saw a stoppage-time equaliser ruled out by VAR in a 1-0 defeat.
But they come here on the back of a 5-1 defeat to Sweden in March that handed out some harsh lessons. A game away to Denmark, ranked 21st in the world, has the potential for more but O’Neill said it is important his players face them.
“There’s no point playing teams you will beat all the time,” he said. “You won’t get any better if you do that. The result is always important but this is preparation for September. We talked about the Sweden game and we were very young on the night and the result was a little bit harsh on us but that is what international football can do. It can be harsh on you.”
Trai Hume has been named as captain for both fixtures as O’Neill continues to rotate the armband within a leadership group.
(PA Media)
A quick plug for two other live blogs on a busy day of sport. Choose between tennis or racing. Or just open loads of browsers and follow everything.
An email from Jeremy Boyce, who is dreaming of a somewhat unlikely reunion at Leeds.
“As a Nasty Leeds supporter I was chuffed to see that Jack Harrison has returned to the fold. He was great in Bielsa’s famous team of runners. Will there be a knock on the door from two trilbied dudes in glasses at Portman Road/London Stadium/Etihad (whoever holds his registration these days) for big Kalvin any day now : “Kalvin, we’re getting the band back together.” And from there to Barcelona: “Raph, we’re putting the band.....” We can always dream. Actually Kalvin would jump at that, and it might actually resurrect his stalled career.
Tottenham plot bid for Brentford's Thomas Frank
Tottenham have met with intermediaries to discuss a potential move for Brentford’s Thomas Frank, reports David Hytner. Frank guided the Bees to 10th place last season while Spurs finished 18 points behind Brentford in 17th. But, of course, there was the UEFA Cup win as Ange Postecoglou delivered on his claim that he always wins a trophy in his second season. Spurs would have to pay off Postecoglou, who has two years left on his contract.
Here’s Jonathan Wilson’s latest column on England as Thomas Tuchel’s men continue their World Cup build-up with a qualifier against Andorra in Spain on Saturday evening.
“England now are in a position not unlike that in which they found themselves in 1965. They have a year left before a World Cup for which they will be one of the favourites, and they have a manager who has made clear he is not concerned by such nebulous concepts as developing the culture or blooding players to be ready three or four tournaments down the line. Thomas Tuchel, no less than Ramsey, knows his job is to win.”
Arsenal: An update on the Gunners and Benjamin Šeško. #advancing
🚨🔴⚪️ Understand Arsenal are now advancing in negotiations for Benjamin Šeško after initial concrete talks reported last week.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 6, 2025
Discussions underway and proceeding well between all parties involved, player & clubs.
No agreement yet now or expected this weekend; but advancing. pic.twitter.com/ts98ABs1X2
David Beckham’s Knighthood: More here for those who like a timeline of how we got to this point.
Ligue 1 season review: Ousmane Dembélé, Luis Enrique and João Neves took PSG to new heights but they were not the only stars in France. Luke Entwistle from Get French Football News reviews the 2024/25 season. Désiré Doué only makes the bench in his team of the season by the way.
Andorra v England: The two nations have squared off six times previously and the aggregate score is 25-0 to England. That suggests a 4.166666 victory for Tuchel’s men on Saturday evening.
Continuing the quiz theme: Harry Kane has scored in his first two matches under Thomas Tuchel and if the striker nets against Andorra – surely a formality if he starts – he’d become the first player to score in each of a new England manager’s first three matches in charge since… ? A clue: he’s tall.
Afternoon quiz. There are some football ones in here. I do like the options for the Thomas Tuchel question.
Thanks Yara. Just reading the story that David Beckham is to be awarded a knighthood in the King’s Birthday Honours. Must be a while since a ‘David’ was knighted. I’m certainly not in contention. According to a quick google, the last one I can see is David Weatherall. Not the big centre-back whose headed winner on the final day against Liverpool once saved Bradford from relegation. No, this guy was a physician and researcher in molecular genetics, haematology, pathology and clinical medicine. He picked up his gong in 2017. And, of course, the football player is Wetherall not Weatherall. What a terrible first entry from me. It’ll get better.
Handover: That is all from me. David Tindall is now here to take you through into the rest of the afternoon.
Andorra v England: And on the men’s side Thomas Tuchel’s men will face Andorra in a World Cup qualifiers match. England are group leaders while Andorra are bottom, having lost their first two matches of qualifiers.
Tuchel will surely be using the international break to get to know his side on the pitch more and make some early decisions about who can make the difference at the 2026 World Cup.
Cole Palmer is keen to be on the plane despite competing positionally with Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden. The Chelsea player said he is willing to play “wherever” to be a part of the XI.
England: Around this time yesterday Sarina Wiegman announced her squad for the Lionesses’ Euro title defence this summer.
Here is what she said on talks of a “crisis” within the camp.
USA: A raft of absences and the nature of the Gold Cup means that, aside from a trophy, the USA’s goals are largely intangible.
The importance of identity and tactical systems probably gets overstated at the national team level, where a dearth of time means that an awful lot of teams play broadly the same way. But the coming month does offer Pochettino a chance to cultivate some of the closeness and feistiness that his best club teams displayed. There is perhaps a larger exploration to be undertaken at some point about the ways in which the improved conditions and job security of the modern American player have undercut the existential belligerence the Yanks used to play with, but, for now, any kind of low-level aggravation will do.
Here is Leander Schaerlaeckens with more.
Liverpool: Arne Slot’s side are closing in on a deal to sign the Hungarian goalkeeper Armin Pecsi from Puskas Akademia, in what would be a record sale for the Nemzeti Bajnokság I (Hungarian top-flight) club. According to Fabrizio Romano the 20-year-old has already agreed to personal terms with Liverpool, with final negotiations between the clubs said to be progressing smoothly.
During the 2024-25 season Pecsi made 36 appearances across all competitions conceding just 43 goals and keeping 11 clean sheets.
Liverpool’s former No 2 goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher signed for Brentford earlier in the window for a fee that could rise to £18m. The club have also signed the Georgia international goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia.
Manchester United: The club are understood to be confident that they can continue to strengthen their squad this summer after making reductions in the player wage bill and other cost savings.
The club posted a pre-tax loss of £3.1m for the third quarter of the fiscal year in results published today, way down on losses of £83.6m for the same period in the prior year.
Total operating costs were down 20.4% compared to the same quarter last year, driven by a reduction in the wage bill due to United’s involvement in the Europa League instead of the Champions League, plus the January loan exits of the likes of Marcus Rashford and Antony.
The reduction in costs was also attributable to the redundancy programme affecting non-playing staff, which began last year.
The chief executive, Omar Berrada, admitted the club’s 15th-place finish in the Premier League this season was “below our standards” and said there was a “clear expectation of improvement” next season.
Changes in personnel seem certain to be required to achieve that and, while United insiders say the club intend to be disciplined about any investment they make this summer in order to remain compliant with the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR), the reduction in operating costs alongside a 17.4% increase in revenue does give them room for manoeuvre in the transfer market.
The club are close to completing the £62.5m signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolves once his international duty is over and are also understood have a firm interest in Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, with contact having been initiated with the London club. PA Media
Thanks Barry and hello all! Let’s start with some Manchester United news.
Handover: That’s me done for now but Yara El-Shaboury is here to take up the Heavy Cudgels O’News.
Arsenal: Sky Sports Italia have reported that Arsenal are mulling over the possibilit of triggering Kepa Arrizabalaga’s £5m release clause from Chelsea. The Spanish goalkeeper spent last season on loan at Bournemouth, is not believed to feature in Enzo Maresca’s plans and could move to Arsenal in place of Neto, who spent last season on loan at the Emirates from Bournemouth as understudy to David Raya. Arsenal have also been linked with a move for Espanyol goalkeeper Joan García, who is believed to prefer a move to his club’s bitter city rivals Barcelona.
Updated
Liam Delap: England U-21s head coach Lee Carsley has insisted he is not in the least bit upset by Liam Delap’s decision to miss the Euros in Slovakia in favour of travelling to the Club World Cup with Chelsea, who he signed for this week. The striker was not among those included in Carsley’s squad, which was announced this morning.
“I’m definitely not disappointed,” said Carsley at a press conference at St George’s Park. “I’m delighted for Liam and his family. It’s a brilliant thing for an English centre-forward to play in the Premier League at such a prestigious club like Chelsea. Hopefully, he’ll do really well there and push for the senior team. We’ll move on. We’ve moved on quite quickly.
“We’ve always known that two or three of the players could move to clubs that were playing in the Club World Cup. The Club World Cup hasn’t come out of the blue. We’ve been preparing for this competition for two years, knowing that the Club World Cup was always in the background. It’s not frustrating one bit. I definitely still see the importance of some of our players that will play in that competition. It’s a brilliant thing for them to do.”
Rangers: While the news that Russell Martin is the new manager of Rangers may have prompted more excitement among Celtic fans than those of their city rivals, Patrick Stewart, the chief executive at Ibrox, admits the club hierarchy are “not oblivious to the noise” surrounding the appointment of the former Southampton manager, whose arrival has not been met with universal approval by Rangers supporters.
Stewart revealed Martin was the only person offered the job and believes the Ibrox club have taken a diligent approach to finding a successor to Philippe Clement, who left in February before former captain Barry Ferguson took over until the end of the season.
“Firstly, we’re always very sensitive and aware of supporters’ sentiment on any issue,” he said. “And, yeah, I’m aware that supporters have strong views on who the right person for the role is. So we’ll always factor that in to a degree, but equally, I’ve been talking a lot about process and making sure we’ve got people and experts in that are qualified to make decisions. So we’ve really put our trust in our process, making sure we’ve got right people in to make decisions and with a lot of discipline. We’re not oblivious to the noise at all, not at all.
“But I think, because we conducted such a thorough process to take us to this point where we’ve appointed Russell, we’re confident the supporters will get behind him, particularly when they see him in action.”
Liverpool relaxed despite Luis Díaz comments
Luis Diaz’s candid press conference performance in Colombia on Thursday may have caused the usual ripples on social media but it is safe to say Liverpool remain relaxed about his situation and, more importantly, in control of it.
Diaz was subject of an approach from Barcelona on Wednesday – when their sporting director, Deco, was informed the 28-year-old is not for sale – and also has interest from Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr. The forward has two years remaining on his contract and, despite having no immediate plans to open talks over an extension, Liverpool want to keep him.
Speaking about his future ahead of Colombia’s World Cup qualifier at home to Peru, Diaz admitted holding talks with other clubs. “I’m very happy at Liverpool, I’ve always said so,” he said. “They’ve welcomed me very well from day one. We are currently in contact with Liverpool because we are talking to clubs, and that’s normal given the transfer market that’s opening. We’re trying to arrange what’s best for us.
“I’m waiting to see what happens. If they (Liverpool) offer us a really good renewal, or since I still have the two years left on my contract I will definitely stay there happy and content. It all depends on them.”
Liverpool are prepared to let Diaz see out the final two years of his current deal and leave on a free in 2027 if necessary. It would take a significant offer that would allow the Premier League champions to replace the former Porto winger, or afford an upgrade, to test that stance.
Updated
Newcastle United news: Callum Wilson is in talks with the club over the possibility of getting a new deal when his contract expires this month. Newcastle reserve goalkeeper John Ruddy is in the same boat but Jamal Lewis will leave the club. Lloyd Kelly’s loan at Juventus will become permanent on June 30, meaning the defender will have spent just half a season at Newcastle since signing from Bournemouth on a free transfer 12 months ago. The club hierarchy has recently agreed new contract extensions with Emil Krafth, Fabian Schar, Dan Burn, Jamaal Lascelles, Martin Dubravka and Sean Longstaff.
Angel Gomes: The diminutive English midfielder will be a free agent when his contract with Lille expires this month and reports suggest he has agreed terms to join Marseille after rejecting overtures from Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham.
The 24-year-old from Edmonton in north London has four England caps, all of which were won during Lee Carsley’s time in interim charge of the national team but has yet to feature in any of Thomas Tuchel’s squads.
Ivan Juric: Despite a disastrous five-month spell in charge of Southampton in which he won just one of his 14 Premier League games in charge, Ivan Juric is on the verge of being announced as the new manager of Serie A side Atalanta. The Croatian will replace Gian Piero Gasperini, who is taking over at Roma after nine years in Bergamo.
West Ham: The club have confirmed defender Jean-Clair Todibo will complete a permanent transfer from Nice when his season-long loan deal expires at the end of this month. The France centre-back joined the Hammers last summer on loan with an option to make the transfer permanent for an undisclosed fee.
Todibo, 25, who suffered a mid-season injury, appeared 29 times across all competitions. West Ham have also announced that loanees Carlos Soler (Paris Saint-Germain) and Evan Ferguson (Brighton) will return to their respective parent clubs at the end of their deals.
Liverpool fundraiser: Liverpool’s official charity and former players association have donated £50,000 to the Liverpool Spirit Appeal, set up to help those most affected by the appalling incident that followed the parade last week, helping to bring the current fundraising total to over £106,000.
The donation from the LFC Foundation and Forever Reds is from proceeds raised at the recent LFC Foundation Gala Ball, which was attended by Jurgen Klopp. The money will prioritise individuals who experienced physical and psychological injury at the event, and required hospital or medical treatment, and also community organisations who have been offering emotional and mental health support.
New five-year deal for Jones at Charlton
Nathan Jones has signed a new five-year deal with Charlton Athletic two weeks after masterminding their promotion to the Championship through a playoff final win over Leyton Orient at Wembley. The Welsh coach subsequently linked with the vacant manager’s role at Cardiff City but has agreed a new five year deal with Charlton.
“I’m very proud and delighted,” he said. “I still had three years left but for the club to come to me and want to continue that journey meant a lot to me because it’s a club that I love. We’ve just taken one big step, but that’s only one big step, we still have a long way to go to achieve our goals and I’m glad that I’ll continue to work towards that.”
Updated
An email: “Please don’t say you’re one of those people who believe football in Lansdowne Road only started when the stadium was redeveloped,” writes Eoin. “Senegal are not the first African team to visit the ground; I was at the Nigeria game in advance of the 2002 World Cup finals!” Apologies, I stand both corrected and gulled by the Football Association of Ireland website. Let the record show that Senegal will be the first African team to visit Landowne Road since the builders turned it sideways.
As we reported earlier, news broke this morning that Gabriel has signed a new and improved deal with Arsenal which is believed to be for four years. The Brazilian has been talking to the club’s media team. “Arsenal is an amazing club and I’m so proud to sign a new contract,” he said. “I love this club, I love the supporters, my teammates, I love this stadium. I’m so proud and thank you for all the support. We continue together for the future.
“I hope I win some trophies with this club, because I love this club and my family loves the club, too. I arrived here as a young player and after almost five years I’m so happy and I’ve learned a lot. I’m so proud of myself, it’s an amazing journey, and I’m so happy to continue it.”
Updated
Delap left out of Carsley's Euro U-21s squad
England Under-21s: Having just wrapped up his £30m move from Ipswich Town to Chelsea, Liam Delap has been left out of England’s U-21 squad for this month’s European Championships in Slovakia and will travel to the USA with his new club for the Club World Cup instead.
Sunderland midfielder Jobe Bellingham is currently in talks with Borussia Dortmund, who are also participating in the Club World Cup, but has been included in Lee Carsley’s squad, along with Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott and Jarrell Quansah, Manchester City’s James McAtee, Newcastle’s Tino Livramento, Tottenham’s Archie Gray, Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri and Birmingham City’s Jay Stansfield.
England’s campaign gets under way with a match against the Czech Republic next Thursday, followed by group games against Slovenia and Germany.
Goalkeepers: James Beadle (Brighton and Hove Albion), Teddy Sharman-Lowe (Chelsea), Tommy Simkin (Stoke City)
Defenders: Charlie Cresswell (FC Toulouse), Ronnie Edwards (Southampton), CJ Egan-Riley (Burnley), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Brooke Norton Cuffy (Genoa), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jobe Bellingham (Sunderland), Archie Gray (Tottenham Hotspur), Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough), Jack Hinshelwood (Brighton and Hove Albion), Tyler Morton (Liverpool), Alex Scott (AFC Bournemouth)
Forwards: Harvey Elliott (Liverpool), Omari Hutchinson (Ipswich Town), Sam Iling Jnr (Aston Villa), James McAtee (Manchester City), Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal), Jonathan Rowe (Marseille), Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City)
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Jordan and Uzbekistan secure World Cup qualification
Asian World Cup qualifiers: Jordan and Uzbekistan have secured qualification at the World Cup finals for the very first time, while South Korea also booked their place in the tournament for the 11th time on the bounce. The three teams join Argentina, New Zealand, Iran and Japan in qualifying for World Cup 2026, while the USA, Canada and Mexico qualify automatically as co-hosts.
Uzbekistan, who count Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov among their number, booked their place courtesy of a scoreless draw with the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi, while a 3-0 win over Oman was enough to secure Jordan’s place at the tournament. South Korea beat Iraq 2-0 to win their place in the Fifa tombola.
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South American World Cup qualifiers: Carlo Ancelotti’s first match in charge of Brazil ended scoreless as his new team were held by Ecuador at the Estadio Monumental. The stalemate means Ecuador stay second in the South American World Cup qualifying table, 10 points behind the already-qualified Argentina. Brazil are fourth, a further two points back and seven points above the play-off spot with just three games remaining.
“I was on the bench for more than 1,800 matches and this one was special,” said Ancelotti after the game. “I think I can make an assessment of this first period; I was happy with the reception. I feel delighted to work with the CBF [Brazilian Football Confederation] and, for me, it is a gift to be here. It was a very good match defensively.
“I saw the team playing better with the ball, with a slightly more fluid game. It was a good draw and we left satisfied, with confidence for the next game. We have very good quality players. There is not much time to work, but there is the possibility of improvement because we have quality. I am sure that we will improve in attack. Today we were missing an important player in Raphinha [who was suspended]. We have to play a game with more rhythm, mobility and intensity. I believe we will do that at our home ground.”
Elsewhere in South America, Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay lost 2-0 away to Paraguay and drop one place and one point below Brazil in the table. Paraguay are third and level on points with Ecuador. Brazil host Paraguay on Wednesday.
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Republic of Ireland v Senegal: Pape Matar Sarr, Idrissa Gueye, Ismaila Sarr and Nicolas Jackson will be among the familiar faces at the Aviva Stadium tonight when Senegal become the first African side to play the Republic of Ireland at the ground. The match is Ireland’s final home game before they start their World Cup qualifying campiagn against Hungary in September and Ireland’s Icelandic coach Heimir Halgrimsson is hoping to use this friendly and next week’s match against Luxembourg to build on recent back-to-back successes against Bulgaria in the Nations League. The Lions of Taranga are on a run of 22 games unbeaten and will follow up tonight’s fixture with a friendly against England at the City Ground on Tuesday.
“They are a massive team, first goal is important and that’s another aspect of the game when we play them, and individual qualities, similar to Portugal, all players can hurt you so one-v-ones will be massively important,” said Halgrimsson when asked for his thoughts on tonight’s opponents.
“Everything happens a little bit quicker, when we need to defend and that’s a good step, if we are ready for that, it’s a good preparation for Hungary and Portugal. The preparation is mixed with what is going to happen in September. We started the camp by talking about what is coming up, and why it is important to play games like Senegal and what can we take from these games to transfer to the games in September. It is important that we have more than 11 players ready to play and knowing everything about how we want to play.”
Gabriel agrees new long-term deal with Arsenal
Arsenal’s Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes has committed his future to the club by agreeing a new long-term contract. The 27-year-old had two years to run on his current deal and his contract extension will be viewed a major boost for the Gunners ahead of what is due to be a pivotal summer in the transfer market. Gabriel played 42 matches for Arsenal last season before a hamstring tear sustained in his side’s 2-1 win over Fulham on April 1 required surgery and brought his campaign to a premature end.
Arsenal announced earlier this week that midfielder Jorginho and defender Kieran Tierney will officially leave the club when their deals expire at the end of the month.
Jorginho is due to sign for the Brazilian side Flamengo, while Tierney is returning to Celtic, his boyhood club. The contract of midfielder Thomas Partey is also due to expire but talks over an extension are ongoing.
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Scotland v Iceland: Hampden Park is the venue for Scotland’s first match since being relegated to the second tier of the Nations League after losing 3-0 against Greece in March. In yesterday’s pre-match press conference, much of the talk centred around the Italian adventures of Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour and Lewis Ferguson, who between them bagged two Serie A winners’ medals and hoisted the Coppa Italia. Ewan Murray reports …
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The Rumour Mill: Yara El-Shaboury is here with your daily dose of tittle-tattle and tell-all that includes talk of a potential Arsenal move for Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, the latest news of the chase to secure the services of Sporting striker Viktor Gyökeres, and much, much more.
World Cup qualifying: Wales host Liechtenstein at the Cardiff City Stadium tonight, with Craig Bellamy’s side second in Group J behind North Macedonia on goal difference having played two games. It’s worth noting that Belgium are also in Group J but have yet to play to a game; Rudi Garcia’s side travel to North Macedonia this evening before hosting Wales in a crunch match on Monday.
Bellamy took as many of his players as were available on a nine-day training camp split between Cardiff and Alicante last month to keep those from the English Football League ticking over after their season had ended and has said he will not be taking his team’s game against the minnows of Liechtenstein in any way lightly.
“I honestly believe if you disrespect the game, it will catch you out,” he told reporters. “The same messages have been fed to the players as well. We have to be us. Fight for every ball. Recovery runs. Reactions. We have to be consistent no matter who we’re playing against. The top teams are the ones that are consistent.”
On the flip side, it could be argued that the bottom sides are also consistent – Liechtenstein have only won one of their past 46 games and despite what Bellamy says, anything other than an emphatic win for Wales tonight would constitute a seismic shock. There, I’ve jinxed them.
Women’s Euro 2025: A glitzy, celeb-speckled Euro squad launch helped the feelgood factor around England’s Lionesses a month ahead of this summer’s Euros but there are still questions over squad harmony, strength in depth and player welfare. Words: Suzanne Wrack.
Spain 5-4 France
Nations League semi-final: Down 5-1 after 67 minutes at the Stuttgart Arena, France scored three goals to reduce their deficit but it was Spain who advanced to Sunday’s final against Portugal. Sid Lowe reports …
Preamble
The season may be over but the Big Wheel O’Football keeps on turning. And how! Last night, Spain and France served up a delightful goalfest that wasn’t nearly as tight as the 5-4 scoreline suggests in their Nations League semi-final, with Lamine Yamal putting on another masterclass as he and his chums survived a late French comeback to book their place against Portugal in Sunday’s all-Iberian final.
There’s plenty more international action to look forward to over the coming weekend, with all four of the home nations and the Republic of Ireland due to play assorted World Cup qualifiers and friendlies. We’re here to bring you build-up to those games, transfer news and any other stories of note that break throughout the day, so don’t dare touch that dial please stay tuned, but only if you want to.
