Leeds United have less than two weeks to prepare for their opening game of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign against Everton at Elland Road.

It will be the club’s first top-flight match in more than two years, since their 4-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in West Yorkshire under the management of Sam Allardyce at the end of the 2022/23 season.

Daniel Farke will now be hoping to be more Marcelo Bielsa than Sam Allardyce or Javi Gracia, as the German head coach attempts to guide the team to safety.

The Whites boss will want more options to pick from at the top end of the pitch, though, as Lukas Nmecha is currently the only attacking player who has been added to the squad during the summer transfer window.

As you can see in the quotes above, Farke has made it clear that the club need to bring in more attackers, including a replacement for Manor Solomon.

The Championship champions should also be on the lookout for a marquee number nine addition, as it remains to be seen whether or not Joel Piroe has what it takes to make the step up.

Leeds have doubts over Joel Piroe's Premier League ability

Back in May, Football Insider reported that Leeds would not build their Premier League attack around the Dutchman, because they have doubts over his suitability for the top-flight.

The outlet stated that the Whites were not planning for the former Swansea marksman to be their first-choice number nine for the 2025/26 campaign, because of their doubts.

This may seem like an odd stance for the club to take after Piroe won the Golden Boot with 19 goals in the Championship for Leeds last season, but it is one that makes sense.

The Whites won the league with 100 points and were utterly dominant in the second tier, which meant that they were able to carry a striker like Piroe, who does not offer much to the team from a physical perspective.

In the Premier League, however, his lack of mobility and strength could cause problems as a starting number nine, as Leeds will be fighting against relegation rather than dominating matches.

As you can see in the table above, Piroe was far too weak in duels with opposition players and ranked incredibly lowly among his positional peers in a host of physical metrics.

Leeds pushing to sign Serie A striker

Piroe’s lack of physicality, in terms of both speed and strength, may be why the Championship champions are reportedly eyeing up a new centre-forward.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to journalist Sebastien Vidal, Leeds United are “pushing” to complete a deal to sign Montenegro international Nikola Krstovic from Italian side Lecce.

The reporter claims that the 25-year-old marksman has been given the “green light” to pursue a move away from the Serie A outfit this summer, which has opened the door to a potential transfer to Elland Road.

Vidal adds that the former Red Star Belgrade marksman is “high” on Farke’s wishlist of attacking reinforcements, with the club now pushing to get a deal done for the striker.

Earlier this summer, it was reported that Lecce value the centre-forward at a fee of around £26m, although it remains to be seen how much Leeds are willing to pay for his services.

Why Leeds should sign Nikola Krstovic

The Whites should sign the Serie A number nine because he would come in as a big upgrade on Joel Piroe for Farke ahead of the Premier League curtain-raiser against Everton.

Unlike the current Leeds forward, Krstovic has already proven his quality in one of Europe’s major leagues with his performances for Lecce over the past two seasons, proving that he can score goals at an impressive rate.

The £26m-rated striker scored 11 goals and provided five assists in 37 appearances in the Serie A during the 2024/25 campaign, which is a very respectable return for a player in a team that battled relegation, and successfully, it is worth noting.

Krstovic’s contributions at the top end of the pitch helped Lecce to finish 17th in the division, three points above the bottom three, which shows that he can step up and deliver crucial goals to help a team in a relegation battle.

Along with his potential to be an excellent goalscorer for Leeds, having scored 21 goals in the last two seasons, the Serie A star would also come in as a big upgrade on Piroe from a physical perspective.

As you can see in the table above, the Lecce centre-forward ranked above average in most of the physical metrics that Piroe ranked among the worst in the Championship for.

Krstovic, who was hailed as “integral” by former boss Roberto D’Aversa, is a strong number nine who can hold his own in duels, on and off the ball, to provide his team with a strong outlet up front.

This means that he would be far more useful to Farke as a starter in the Premier League, as Leeds are likely to be battling the drop and will need a striker who can provide relief by winning fouls and duels, which is not Piroe’s strong suit.

Therefore, Krstovic could be an ideal signing for the Whites to come in as a proven goalscorer and physical presence in the number ninerole ahead of Piroe.

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Wrexham's non-executive director Shaun Harvey has rubbished reports suggesting that Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are considering showing record-breaking head coach Phil Parkinson to the door at SToK Racecourse. Questions have been asked of the Red Dragons' boss, but said speculation has been branded an "absolute disgrace" by a man on the inside.

• History books rewritten in meteoric rise

  Success has become par for the course in North Wales on the back of three successive promotions, with the EFL history books being rewritten. Wrexham have enjoyed a meteoric rise out of the National League and into the Championship.

Advertisement

• Getty/GOAL
  

  Transfer talk: Big money spent in summer window

  Remaining competitive one step away from the Premier League was always going to be tough, with £33 million ($45m) being spent in the summer transfer as the Red Dragons sought to bridge that gap.

• Pressure talk amid links to other big-name coaches

  A slow start to the 2025-26 campaign, which has delivered one win and four points from five second tier fixtures, has seen it suggested by some that Parkinson may be under pressure and fighting to keep his job – with so-called bigger names already being linked with a role that does not need to be filled.

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• Getty
  

  Director addresses speculation that lacks substance

  Addressing that gossip, Harvey told the : "It's an absolute disgrace. I think we're all disappointed we've not got more than four points at this moment in time. But to start quoting discussions and meetings that have taken place is the bit that's the disgrace."

  He went on to say: "Phil has everybody at the club's full support. I know before somebody starts writing headlines, 'Harvey gives Parkinson the vote of confidence'. That is not the vote of confidence.

  "What I'm saying is, he's got our full support. You can only give somebody a vote of confidence when you've actually discussed the future. It's not even been on anywhere near an agenda as yet.

  "So, if that day comes, the decision has to be taken. But Phil's our man. We've backed him from the start. We backed him from four years ago. We've had all the success under that regime. Why should we start panicking now?"

Chelsea are currently undergoing a hectic last 13 days of the summer transfer window, as BlueCo attempt to agree a host of incomings and outgoings.

The west Londoners have balanced out their near-£280 million spend on new signings over the last few months with a major influx of cash.

Chelsea’s triumph at the Club World Cup yielded prize money of around £87.5 million, adding to their estimated £80m revenue from qualifying for the Champions League and £220 million raised through player sales.

Cash isn’t the issue when it comes to adding more new signings to Enzo Maresca’s squad before the deadline on September 1, but their pact with UEFA is.

Chelsea must produce a positive transfer balance by the end of the window, or they won’t be able to register new signings for their Champions League squad. This is part of the settlement Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital reached after Chelsea were found guilty of breaching FFP rules last month.

Simply put, the Blues must sell before they can buy right now. Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson, Renato Veiga, Axel Disasi, Carney Chukwuemeka, Ben Chilwell, Raheem Sterling, Alfie Gilchrist and potentially Tyrique George are all up for grabs from Chelsea, either on loan or permanently.

All the aforementioned players could join Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys, Noni Madueke, Marcus Bettinelli, Mathis Amougou, Djordje Petrovic, João Félix, Ishe Samuels-Smith, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Armando Broja and Lesley Ugochukwu out the door.

Their success when it comes to trimming the squad will have a knock-on effect when it comes to Chelsea’s moves for Man United winger Alejandro Garnacho and RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons.

Chelsea have been in talks to sign both Simons and Garnacho over the last fortnight, and the attackers have already agreed personal terms on switches to Stamford Bridge.

However, as Chelsea attempt to get the likes of Jackson and Nkunku out to make space, it appears both men are in limbo right now and waiting to seal their desired moves to London.

Chelsea pledge to make official bid for Xavi Simons soon

Sky Germany have an intriguing update on this, and they reassure supporters that Chelsea’s move for Simons remains very much alive despite the delay.

The 22-year-old, who is Leipzig’s highest-ever paid player on a contract worth £192,000-per-week, has indeed already agreed personal terms to join Maresca’s side – and it is believed that Chelsea have promised to make an official offer to Simons’ club soon.

Sky give a timeframe as to when this transfer could start moving, and they estimate that the dominos will start falling into place after Leipzig’s Bundesliga opener against Bayern Munich on Friday.

The former PSG sensation is expected to play for Leipzig against Vincent Kompany’s German champions, and this could well act as a farewell game for Simons before his potentially imminent move to the Premier League.

It is set to be a very entertaining end to the summer for Chelsea, coming amid Maresca’s serious desire to sign a new centre-back as well, which he’s made public to the media in light of Levi Colwill’s ACL injury.

أعلن الكرواتي كرونسلاف يورتشيتش المدير الفني لفريق بيراميدز، قائمة اللاعبين المختارين لمواجهة الجيش الرواندي، ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

واقترب بيراميدز من التأهل إلى دور الـ32 حيث يكفيه الفوز أو التعادل أو الخسارة بفارق هدف من أجل التأهل بعد الفوز بهدفين دون مقابل في كيجالي.

طالع.. موعد وحكام مباراة بيراميدز ونهضة بركان في السوبر الإفريقي

ويلاقي المتأهل من هذه المواجهة فريق التأمين الإثيوبي في دور الـ32 من البطولة، ما يمثّل محطة جديدة على طريق البحث عن مجد إفريقي جديد للفريق المصري.

ويستضيف بيراميدز، الجيش الرواندي غدًا الأحد، ضمن منافسات إياب دور الـ64 من دوري أبطال إفريقيا على ملعب استاد الدفاع الجوي، في الثامنة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والسعودية. قائمة بيراميدز لمباراة الجيش الرواندي

حراسة المرمى: أحمد الشناوي – محمود جاد – شريف إكرامي.

خط الدفاع: علي جبر – كريم حافظ – محمد الشيبي – محمد حمدي – أحمد سامي.

خط الوسط: أحمد توفيق – محمود دونجا – مهند لاشين – عبد الرحمن مجدي – أحمد عاطف قطة – مصطفى زيكو – إيفرتون داسيلفا – محمد رضا بوبو – بلاتي توريه – مصطفى فتحي – وليد الكرتي.

خط الهجوم: دودو الجباس – يوسف أوباما – فيستون ماييلي – مروان حمدي.

Southampton have now opened talks over a deal for a £12m Championship star, who could be brought in as a replacement for Mateus Fernandes, according to a report.

Fernandes' future remains up in the air

Unlike some other high-profile players, Fernandes has not downed tools in order to force a move this summer, featuring in the opening two Championship games, even though the Saints’ midfielder has been attracting serious interest from the Premier League.

Indeed, West Ham United have now submitted an offer for the 21-year-old, while there has also been interest from elsewhere, with the likes of Manchester United and Aston Villa also being named as potential suitors.

Given that the Hammers’ most recent offer was deemed unacceptable, it remains to be seen whether the Portuguese midfielder moves on this summer, but Will Still’s side have already made a move for a potential replacement.

That is according to a report from The Daily Mail, which states Southampton have now opened talks over a deal for Middlesbrough’s Finn Azaz, with an offer worth up to £12m currently under discussion.

The negotiations for Azaz got underway straight after West Ham made an offer for Fernandes, and given that the 24-year-old excels in both attacking and central midfield roles, it seems as though he is being targeted as a direct replacement for the youngster.

However, the need for Still to bring in a new attacker is also exacerbated by the interest in Tyler Dibling, with a number of Premier League clubs still keen on signing the young winger.

Azaz could be exciting replacement for Fernandes

Fernandes has featured in the Saints’ opening three games this season, most notably scoring the winner after starting and finishing a move against Northampton in the EFL Cup.

As such, Still will be disappointed if he loses an important player, but there are signs that Azaz could be a top-quality replacement, having received very high praise from former manager Michael Carrick last season.

Carrick said: “We know his quality, his eye for a pass and for finding spaces to create for others. He’s an intelligent player and he can score goals as well. He did so before he came here and it was one the reasons we bought him. He’s got the whole package really.”

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The Championship star was very impressive from an attacking point of view last term, chipping in with 23 goal contributions in 45 league outings for Boro, which suggests he would be very capable of slotting straight into Still’s promotion-chasing Southampton side.

Losing Fernandes would be tough to take, but it would not be a surprise if the starlet is eager to return to the Premier League, and Azaz could be the ideal replacement.

A cluster of big names joined the playoff stage of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), all arriving from the International League T20 (ILT20) tournament in the UAE after being eliminated in that competition. James Vince, Tim David and Shimron Hetmyer have come from Gulf Giants (GG) while Andre Russell and Jason Holder have arrived after playing for the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ADKR).All five were in action at Monday’s BPL eliminator match. David, Russell and Vince turned out for Rangpur Riders while Khulna Tigers have Hetmyer and Holder in their corner.Kyle Mayers is reportedly also returning for Fortune Barishal after his stint with the Abu Dhabi franchise in the ILT20. Mayers had initially played five matches for Barishal, before hopping off to the ILT20 where he played ten matches.Related

• Rajshahi's overseas players stuck in Dhaka hotel over BPL payment issues

• BCB forms independent inquiry body to help probe BPL corruption allegations

• 'A broken sport': Franchise free-for-all compromises players' incentives

It is a timely boost for the BPL after a plethora of controversies over allegations of corruption and salary payment issues.The inclusion of these T20 A-listers will give the tournament some legitimacy. But the swift player transfer highlights the absurdity of the T20 market where a player gets to play more franchise leagues in the same window if his team is eliminated earlier than others. Vince has played in the Big Bash League, before making it to the ILT20 and now have arrived for the BPL.The injection of big stars created an early problem for Rangpur in the eliminator though. Vince had a mix-up with Soumya Sarkar in the first over of the eliminator, resulting in the latter getting run-out. Vince then fell for just one run, unable to read a two-paced wicket. David and Russell fell for seven and four respectively.The BPL hasn’t had a lot of big names playing this season. Alex Hales and Shaheen Afridi featured for the first couple of weeks while Jason Roy and Reece Topley also appeared for a few matches. In fact, there has been criticism of the large number of lesser-known and former overseas cricketers in the BPL.

Phil Parkinson has explained how Wrexham were able to contain “best in the league” Josh Sargent when taking on Norwich City. The USMNT striker headed into that contest with six goals to his name, but drew a blank against the Red Dragons as the Welsh outfit claimed a notable 3-2 win at Carrow Road – helping to ease some of the pressure that had been building on their boss.

Change in the dugout? Reports quickly rubbished

Those inside the Wrexham camp have been quick to play down any talk of Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney considering a change in the dugout, but positive results were required after making a slow start to the 2025-26 campaign.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportContained Sargent to prevail in five-goal thriller

The Red Dragons returned to winning ways in Norfolk, having trailed at half-time, with Sargent’s considerable threat being extinguished. Parkinson said of keeping the United States international quiet: “We were up against probably the best striker in the league today in Josh Sargent. We did a lot of work on him, how we felt we had to deal with him. He’s a dangerous player but our concentration levels were good. There was a lot of fatigue out there eventually, as they tracked his runs, they got tight to him and limited a really good player to very little.”

Wrexham have enjoyed a meteoric rise

Parkinson is pleased to have got another three points on the board, with Wrexham’s record-breaking promotion-winning coach calling for a sense of perspective. He said of competing with the Championship elite: “I wanted the lads to enjoy this game. Four years ago we were down this way and playing King’s Lynn away in front of 800 people. I want people to understand how far we have come.”

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GettyWrexham fixtures: Next up for the Red Dragons

Wrexham have moved onto seven points from six games, with that return leaving them 15th in the table. They are, however, only three adrift of the play-off places and will be back in action on Tuesday when facing Reading in the Carabao Cup third round.

MatériaMais Notícias

No início da temporada, a diretoria do Grêmio entregou reforços ao técnico Renato Gaúcho e animou o seu torcedor com dias mais tranquilos.

No primeiro objetivo do ano, o Tricolor manteve a sua hegemonia no Gauchão e faturou o seu sexto título estadual consecutivo. Empolgado, o gremista teve no discurso do treinador a garantia que poderia encarar qualquer clube do futebol nacional.

O problema é que desde o início do Brasileirão a situação mudou. Com o aumento do nível dos rivais, as vitórias desapareceram e o bom futebol foi embora.

Agora, o técnico Renato Gaúcho e elenco sentem a ira da torcida, que no último jogo, após o empate com o Fortaleza em casa, vaiou muito.

Semana importante 

Para acabar com a turbulência, o Tricolor tem uma semana especial. O primeiro desafio é o Cruzeiro, pela Copa do Brasil. Na sequência, Renato Gaúcho e cia terão mais um Gre-Nal. Vitória nos dois jogos em casa certamente acalma os ânimos da torcida e entregatranquilidade a elenco e comissão técnica.

Birmingham City are finally underway in the Championship as the many twists and turns of the 2025/26 season now lie ahead.

The Blues will ambitiously be aiming for back-to-back promotions all the way up to the Premier League, after making League One look like a breeze when clinching the third-tier title with a record-breaking 111 points.

Marvin Ducksch will be hoping he can play a pivotal role in Birmingham achieving this unthinkable feat, as the German attempts to acclimatise to his new English surroundings swiftly, having been a prolific performer in his native Bundesliga for some time now.

What Ducksch can offer Birmingham

Birmingham often gets their own way in the chaotic transfer window, having previously flexed their muscles by picking up ex-Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi for a whopping £10m earlier this summer.

However, that wasn’t the case, unfortunately, when it came to chasing after the coveted signature of Chuba Akpom, as Ipswich Town stole the signature of the ex-Arsenal striker off Birmingham at the final hour.

Thankfully, the reigning League One champions had the now ex-Werder Bremen attacker up their sleeve as a back-up plan, having snapped up the shot-heavy 31-year-old following his £1.7m move.

He should be a hit in the English game with his imposing 6-foot-2 frame and his clinical eye for goal, as seen in Ducksch tallying up a lethal 54 strikes for Bremen across 134 games, on top of chipping in with a high 40 assists.

Fellow new faces such as Demarai Gray will surely love linking up with the unselfish forward, therefore, with the 31-year-old just fresh off a Bundesliga campaign that saw him create a stunning 17 big chances in total.

But, if the Dortmund-born striker fancies elevating his output in terms of goals in the West Midlands, he will want some inch-perfect service, which could come his way if Chris Davies’ men can seal a deal for this playmaker to also join the building.

The "quality" talent who is perfect for Ducksch

After all, if there is a move out there that can take the Bundesliga goal machine’s game to that next level in England, Birmingham should go all out to try and seal the deal.

Ducksch’s perfect partner in attack could well be Rangers midfielder Kieran Dowell, as Birmingham have been tipped to go back in for their former loanee multiple times across this hectic window to date.

No such move has whirred into motion yet, unfortunately, but after a lacklustre opening day performance under Russell Martin in Scotland, with possession haphazardly given away 12 times versus Motherwell, the ex-Southampton boss might now be more willing to listen to the Blues’ advances.

Whilst the £16k-per-week ace has been regularly hit-and-miss at Ibrox, Dowell has proven himself to be a classy performer in the EFL in the past, particularly when carving out consistent opportunities for his attacking teammates to latch onto.

Games played

123

Goals scored

26

Assists

12

Big chances created

25

Indeed, it’s clear from the table above that Dowell’s strengths – when previously playing in the Championship – lie in his ability to fashion chances for his charitable teammates, with a standout 25 big chances created on his end from 123 career encounters in the tough division.

He also has a promising 26 goals next to his name, meaning he could step into the goalscoring limelight if Ducksch was suffering from an off-day, having also been branded as a “high-quality” star last season by Davies when amassing five goals and five assists from just 23 Blues appearances on loan.

Having such a creative force by his side will be music to the ears of Ducksch, who has also been showered with similarly high praise when being labelled as a talent capable of making “special moments” happen by former Bremen boss Ole Werner.

This really could be a devastating combo in the Championship, with their efforts combined potentially pulling the Blues into the promotion spots.

Bigger talent than Akpom: Birmingham City plot move for "fearless" PL ace

Birmingham City could sign a bigger talent than Chuba Akpom by winning the services of this Premier League starlet.

ByKelan Sarson Aug 4, 2025

Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembele hailed "wonderful" Barcelona rival Lamine Yamal after beating him to the 2025 Ballon d'Or. Dembele scooped the award ahead of Yamal after leading PSG to three trophies in 2024-25, including their maiden Champions League title.

Dembele wins first Ballon d'Or

Dembele racked up 37 goals and 16 assists in all competitions as PSG completed a clean sweep of domestic and European silverware. Barcelona, on the other hand, won La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup and the Copa del Rey with Yamal leading their charge, but could only reach the semi-finals of the Champions League. In the end, Dembele was declared the 2025 Ballon d'Or winner at Monday night's glitzy ceremony in Paris and delivered an emotional victory speech.

AdvertisementAFPDembele backs Yamal to win 'several' Golden Balls

Dembele saved a few classy words for Yamal, as he told the crowd: "Lamine Yamal is an exceptional young man. A wonderful player with great maturity. I believe he will win several Ballon d’Or awards."

PSG star breaks down in tears

Dembele was unable to fight back tears in the last part of his speech as he thanked his mother for his monumental success in his career. "To my mother, I want to thank you. You have always been there for me, mama," he added. "To my family, we have experienced so much together. We have been through it all. We will always be together."

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Getty/GOALYamal & Dembele both nursing injuries

Dembele's prediction for Yamal could well prove correct, with the 18-year-old sensation having time on his side when it comes to winning football's most prestigious award. Yamal has started the 2025-26 campaign with five goal contributions in his first three appearances, but is currently sidelined due to injury and may not feature in Barca's next La Liga game against Oveido. Dembele has also been nursing a knock, but is expected to return to action when PSG face Auxerre in Ligue 1 next weekend.