Key events
Doak set fot move from Liverpool to Bournemouth
Ewan Murray
Bournemouth are closing in on a deal to sign the Liverpool forward Ben Doak for £25m. The 19-year-old will move on for a huge profit on the £600,000 Liverpool paid Celtic in training compensation in 2022. The Scotland international has been linked with umpteen Premier League clubs and Porto but is expected to remain in England. Doak’s upcoming switch to the south coast comes as Bournemouth’s Dango Ouattara is poised to join Brentford for up to £42.5m.
Chelsea need a defender after Levil Colwill’s ACL injury. Will they buy one? It’s possible, according to manager Enzo Maresca. It’s always possible with Chelsea.
“We are trying to find a solution internally, but the club know exactly what I think – we need a central defender – but we are looking internally.”
An addendum to Howe’s stance on Isak. Asked whether the striker could ever play again for Newcastle, Howe said this: ““Yes, I believe there is, but of course discussions and talks would have to take place in order for that to happen.”
Ben Fisher speaks to Aston Villa’s playmaker, Youri Tielemans.
“I always feel like once I’m in that rhythm, I feel the best I can be, really. When I’m in that rhythm, you just play, recover, play, recover, and you just get used to it and hopefully, I can do that again. We’re obviously well tracked by medical and technical staff – there are a lot of things going on backstage, I would say, where you have to just give your body the best chance possible to perform.”
Noel Patrick has a suggestion: “You really should have a feature on Mondays to evaluate how the previous weekend’s “10 things to look out for…” went.”
I’ll put it to the editorial board.
‘No change’ on Isak – Eddie Howe speaks
Eddie Howe – and his nephew – have had quite the summer in the recruitment game. Of Alexander Isak, Howe would not say whether he will play against Aston Villa. Vibes: doubtful. Instead, the signing of Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey is a useful addition.
I am really pleased, it has been a slow burner this summer. We tried to be active early, that didn’t happen. Then you’re trying to turn things in a positive way. Gradually piece by piece we have been becoming stronger. We have quality players coming in. The top end of the pitch is not ideal, but we have time.
“In early pre-season, I have not shied away from it being a difficult time. You could see that in our performances. But the players are strong mentally, the mood has been good, performances recently have been better. The group has reacted well. Sometimes these things can have a good effect, and we were close anyway. These things can unify you in a way you didn’t know possible.”
On Isak: “There has been no change. All my focus is on Aston Villa tomorrow. Isak’s situation has been clear for a while and that will continue to be the case. I’ve had a great relationship with him, you need that partnership with every player. I have to work really closely with the player for his benefit, to try and improve them. I always want to be there for him.
“I don’t think Isak would have done as well without that, his team mates, the supporters – he recognises that, he’s an intelligent person.”
Hurzeler confident Baleba stays at Brighton
Fabian Hurzeler has had brief words to say on Manchester United’s pursuit of Carlos Baleba: “Very very very confident, that’s just my belief.”
Brighton welcome Fulham tomorrow. Now, will Baleba play? Or be pulled out as Wissa has been by Brentford.
“I didn’t see any change, he’s only changed his hair. I think that’s the change he’s made in the last two weeks. But overall he seems to be in a really good place, he’s enjoying it with his team-mates, he’s enjoying being a Brighton player.
“I didn’t see any big changes and he’s an option to start tomorrow”.
And on that bombshell, I’ll hand you over to John Brewin for more hot build-up. Enjoy.
There’s a fair bit of talk ahead of the big Premier League kick-off that we could witness a four-team title race this season. This is how the bookies see it. The Manchester United price isn’t a misprint.
7/4 Liverpool
5/2 Arsenal
7/2 Manchester City
8/1 Chelsea
25/1 Man Utd
50/1 Tottenham, Newcastle
80/1 Aston Villa
Howard Webb admits there is no way back to refereeing for scandal-hit official David Coote.
We all love a bargain. Although, in Premier League terms these days, a £30m transfer constitutes a bargain. You get the point though and here Harry Paterson lists several players who could end up looking real value for money.
Fancy some in-depth team-by-team Premier League previews? Here’s West Ham, the 19th of 20, and we’ll complete the set with Wolves later today. Click away and you’ll find links to all the others.
If Europe’s elite could not contain Paris Saint-Germain last season, what chance is there for Ligue 1’s impoverished chasing pack? That’s the question asked by Luke Entwhistle in his latest column via Get French Football News.
Today’s Rumour Mill has dropped. John Brewin takes you through the latest gossip which features Manchester United, Brighton, Fulham and Spurs among others.
The Football Weekly pod squad have given their own musings on the new Premier League season. If you’re driving to a place an hour away today, you have one for the way out and for of the journey back. Or just sit in the sunshine somewhere and nod off halfway through the first one, perhaps waking after a fever dream involving Declan Rice throwing fruit at a dinosaur ridden by Howard Webb.
Andy Hunter and Louise Taylor assess the chances of the Premier League’s three promoted teams and whether they can avoid the same fate suffered by recent predecessors. Will the song play out again?
Florian Wirtz makes his Premier League debut tonight. With his control, vision, movement and weight of pass, he’s a delightful footballer and it’s easy to see why Liverpool paid the big bucks. Arne Slot is thrilled to have the German on board but offered a tinge of realism in his press conference.
Here’s Barney Ronay as the starting gun prepares to fire on the new Premier League season.
There are very good reasons why this thing has become the world’s dominant pop cultural stage. It works. No matter how sated you might have become by the end of the last one, there is always renewal and fresh hunger. Albeit with an even stronger sense this time of shifting planes, hard lines dissolving, a Premier League that is, for the first time in some time, a little menaced by omens, portents and notes of horn-parping rapture.
Let’s get straight into it by welcoming back an old favourite. Ladies and Gentleman, I give you 10 things…
Preamble
It’s back! The Premier League is back! A whopping 83 days since the 2024/25 season came to an end, champions Liverpool get the new 2025/26 campaign underway with a home game against Bournemouth tonight. Of course, we’ve hardly seen a ball kicked inbetween bar a dramatic Women’s Euros, a bonkers one-sided Champions League final, a turgid Europa League final, entertaining renewals of the Community Shield and Super Cup, rough-and-tumble action in the Championship, League One and League Two, key Champions League qualifiers, clue-gathering pre-season friendlies… you get the idea. But let’s not spoil the ‘it’s back’ narrative because now are empty lives are about to be filled again. We’ll have an absolute raft of scene setters for the big kick-off which starts at Anfield tonight and concludes at Elland Road on Monday via a Matchweek 1 which also features five games on Saturday (just three at 3pm) and three on Sunday.
Will we have a four-way title race? Will the three promoted sides go straight back down? How much improvement do Manchester United and Spurs have in them after hideous finishes last time? Will Alexander Isak move from Tyneside to Merseyside? Buckle up, it’s time to find out!
