Football/Soccer 3 Days

Last updated: August 7, 2026, 4:06 PM ET

Major Transfers and Deals

Coventry City have completed the club-record signing of Ghana midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi in a £26m deal, while Leeds United signed goalkeeper James Trafford from Manchester City for a club-record fee. Arsenal agreed a £75m fee with Newcastle for captain Bruno Guimarães, who was "very emotional" to leave, and Manchester City rejected Barcelona's £38.5m bid for Rodri, demanding more than £60m. Liverpool held preliminary talks with PSG over Bradley Barcola, while Chelsea set to clinch a deal for Rayo Vallecano left-back Pep Chavarria for £16.3m. Real Madrid's Franco Mastantuono joined Fiorentina on a season-long loan, and Crystal Palace signed Japan defender Takehiro Tomiyasu after a successful trial. Hull City signed Greece goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis for a club-record fee and also signed Norwegian midfielder Jens Hjerto-Dahl on a five-year deal. Newcastle rejected an approach from Manchester United for Lewis Hall, while Bournemouth announced the signing of right-back Juanlu Sanchez from Sevilla for up to £11.1m. Liverpool signed Spanish midfielder Natalia Ramos from CD Tenerife Femenino, and Everton completed the signing of Christian Nørgaard from Arsenal. Millwall signed Scotland striker Lyndon Dykes on a one-year deal, and Cardiff City signed Lincoln midfielder Jack Moylan for an undisclosed fee. Wrexham signed midfielder Ben Whiteman from Preston on a three-year contract, and Birmingham City signed France youth international Chancelle Effa Effa from Le Havre. Swansea City signed free agent Ross Stewart on a three-year deal, while Hirving "Chucky" Lozano joined the LA Galaxy on an initial loan from San Diego FC. Former AC Milan forward Alexandre Pato is part of a consortium set to buy Northampton Town, and Mohamed Salah joined Turkish side Trabzonspor on a free transfer. Vinicius Junior signed a new six-year Real Madrid contract to end Arsenal's pursuit, while Jeremy Doku signed a new Manchester City contract until 2031. Micky van de Ven is close to agreeing a new five-year Tottenham contract, and Rangers signed winger Daisuke Yokota from Hannover.

Club News and Managerial Updates

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill was released from hospital after a "small procedure" and is in "good form," though there is no timeline for his return. Mikel Arteta said his Arsenal players were "fuming" after a 3-1 preseason loss to Real Betis in Dublin, while Arsenal have "big hopes" for Ceadach O'Neill according to Arteta. Liverpool legend Ian Rush urged patience for new boss Andoni Iraola, saying he should target silverware. Newcastle United appointed Matthias Jaissle as head coach to succeed Eddie Howe, with the CEO calling him a "rock star". Derek McInnes is still looking for his first win as Rangers manager after a 2-1 defeat to Jagiellonia Bialystok in Europa League qualifying. Hearts endured a 6-1 thrashing by Benfica in Lisbon, all but ending their Europa League hopes. Tottenham boss Roberto de Zerbi hopes to guide the club back up the table through his love of the transfer window. Atletico Madrid hold talks over a move for Tottenham captain Cristian Romero, who is expected to leave. Manchester United teenager JJ Gabriel was given a trading card made with real 24-carat gold, while Marcus Rashford is expected to return to training amid debate over his future. Enzo Maresca won his first game in charge of Manchester City with a 3-1 win over the K-League All Stars. Chelsea suffered a 1-0 defeat to Juventus in a Hong Kong friendly, while Bayern Munich held off Aston Villa 2-1 in Hong Kong to close their Asia tours. Partick Thistle aim to return to the Scottish Premiership with Ben Stanway signing a new contract, while the Scottish FA will hold a "critically important" summit on the future of the game. Walsall stunned Bristol City in the Carabao Cup curtain raiser, and David Sullivan is expected to attend West Ham's EFL Cup tie despite advice to stay away. The Football Association has banned solid perimeter walls around pitches after the death of former Arsenal youth player Billy Vigar.

FIFA Presidency and Governance Crisis

Norway's soccer federation president called on Gianni Infantino to resign, saying there is "no trust" in him, while Mexico and Argentina expressed support for the embattled FIFA president. Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney said he no longer has confidence in Infantino, and Portugal great Luís Figo joined calls for him to step down over the failed World Cup stake sale plan. UEFA's boycott of FIFA tournaments still stands, with the FA joining them in opposing his re-election. FIFA apologized for "errors" made over the plan, while senior executives including Arsène Wenger distanced themselves from the plan. FIFA was accused of blackmailing Jordan over World Cup money, and the association of European soccer leagues called for governance reform of FIFA. Former FIFA vice president also accused Infantino of blackmail, while Spain claims it "deserves" to host the 2030 World Cup final according to the sports minister.

Women's Football Updates

Emma Hayes urged US Soccer to prioritize the U.S. Under-20 Women's national team to help youth development, while France says it will compete in the U20 Women's World Cup despite a UEFA boycott threat. Manchester United appointed Eva Olid as women's manager on a two-year deal, while defender Gabby George moved to Brighton from Manchester United. Arsenal midfielder Mariona Caldentey says the club is talking up their chances of winning the Treble, and the new season of "Ted Lasso" was filmed at a real-life NWSL club for a key plot point. Erica Meg Parkinson has been named in England's preparation squad for the U20 Women's World Cup, and assistant referee Sian Massey‑Ellis retired to take up a role with the FA. Key dates for the 2026-27 women's football season have been detailed by BBC Sport.

Other Football News

England striker Ivan Toney was charged with assault after an incident at a London nightclub, and he is due to appear in court next month. The long-awaited heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will take place "where the money is," says Dana White, and Eddie Hearn expects it to be finalized by end of August. Lionel Messi scored a brace to lead Inter Miami to a 4-2 Leagues Cup win, while Argentina will not pressure Messi over the 2028 Copa América. Uganda international David Owori was killed in a street gang attack, and Alex Hughes, son of Mark Hughes, died of sudden adult death syndrome. Barcelona canceled a pre-season friendly in Morocco due to the Ceuta border crisis. The National League kicks off with Ebbsfleet suspended over unpaid debts, while the EFL Cup second-round draw takes place Monday. The World Darts Championship dates have been confirmed for December 11 to January 3, and Raymond van Barneveld was fined and suspended by the Darts Regulation Authority. Andrew Flintoff stepped down as England Lions head coach, and Jahmyr Gibbs agreed to a new three-year deal worth up to $75.7m with the Detroit Lions. Undrafted rookie Haynes King led the Panthers to a comeback win over the Cardinals in the NFL Hall of Fame game.