Football/Soccer 3 Days

Last updated: August 13, 2026, 6:24 PM ET

Transfer Window Heats Up

Chelsea have set a Friday deadline for any clubs wishing to meet their £120m valuation of Enzo Fernández, sources have told ESPN. The Blues could turn to Arsenal midfielder Martín Zubimendi if Enzo joins Manchester City. Galatasaray have submitted a €45m bid for Gabriel Martinelli, and Arsenal have also held talks with the Turkish club over selling Ethan Nwaneri. Atletico Madrid have agreed a €40m deal for Tottenham captain Cristian Romero, while Aston Villa are closing in on Atletico defender Matteo Ruggeri. Manchester City have rejected a £55m bid from Barcelona for Rodri, though Barça remain optimistic of completing a deal. Jérémy Doku has signed a new five-year contract at City. Romelu Lukaku has joined Fenerbahce from Napoli for €6m, calling the move “emotional.” Youri Tielemans has completed his £35m move to Manchester United and has apologised to Aston Villa fans for suggesting he joined a bigger club. Arsenal are also interested in Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa and have held further talks. Chelsea have completed the signing of Pep Chavarría from Rayo Vallecano for £16m, while they have greenlit a loan move for Mykhailo Mudryk. Everton have signed Brennan Johnson from Crystal Palace in a swap deal for Dwight McNeil. Nottingham Forest have signed Ousmane Diomande from Sporting for £34m. Wrexham are set to sign Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson in a potential club-record deal, according to sources. PSV winger Couhaib Driouech is at Ibrox ahead of a £6.5m move to Rangers. Celtic have signed German midfielder Mika Baur from Paderborn and also added winger Haissem Hassan from Real Oviedo. Liverpool are targeting PSG winger Bradley Barcola and have completed a loan deal for Barcelona defender Ronald Araújo. Manchester City have signed goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli from Marseille. Crystal Palace have seen a verbal bid for Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara rejected.

UEFA Super Cup: PSG Edge Aston Villa

Paris Saint-Germain beat Aston Villa 2-1 to win the UEFA Super Cup in Salzburg, with Désiré Doué scoring the winner. Villa teenager Brian Madjo, scored on his debut after an eight-month wait for competitive action, but Villa could not hold on. PSG were unhappy with their dressing room allocation at the Red Bull Arena and secured an extra room. Unai Emery was chasing his first Super Cup win with Villa, who last played the match in 1982. The victory keeps PSG on course for a possible three-peat in the Champions League.

Pitch Fungus Postpones La Liga Opener

Celta Vigo have postponed their LaLiga opener against Osasuna due to a fungus outbreak on the pitch at their stadium. The decision came after La Liga inspected the playing surface and deemed it unplayable. The club confirmed the postponement Thursday, with a new date yet to be announced.

Community Shield & Premier League Season Preview

The Community Shield marks the final stretch before the new Premier League season, but history shows the result is often misleading as a preview. ESPN has identified the 20 people who will define the campaign, including managers and players such as Enzo Maresca and James Maddison. The Sky Sports supercomputer predicts Arsenal will retain the title, with Liverpool above Manchester United in its predicted table. Meanwhile, the new season sees the ban on gambling sponsors on the front of shirts come into effect, with tech and finance firms replacing them. EFL matches at 3pm on Saturday are being shown on TV because the traditional blackout has been lifted for the first weekend. The Championship play-offs have expanded to six teams this season. West Ham, Burnley and Wolves are the three relegated sides, and BBC Sport analyses how they will fare in the Championship.

Managerial Moves & Off-Pitch News

The Netherlands have appointed Barcelona great Xavi Hernández as their national team coach through the 2030 World Cup. Jose Mourinho is back at Real Madrid 13 years after leaving, and BBC Sport examines whether the 63-year-old can restore the club to former glory. Mikel Arteta has said he is still “trying” to add players after Vinícius Jr. opted to stay at Real Madrid. Enzo Maresca has spoken about replacing Pep Guardiola, his captaincy dilemma and using AI masterclasses. Gianni Infantino received “full support” from six Arab football federations, but the Football Association of Ireland has withdrawn its backing, while the IFA backs Uefa. US President Donald Trump has warned FIFA would make a “terrible mistake” if it replaced Infantino. A map shows the world’s division over Infantino’s leadership. Retiring Premier League referee Anthony Taylor says his decision to quit was partly due to the toxic debate around officials. The South Korean FA has apologised after a police raid over a referee payment scandal. Kick It Out chair Sanjay Bhandari will leave his role at the end of the season.

Other Notable Stories

Lionel Messi rejoined Inter Miami on the bench after the death of his father, Jorge, and has paid tribute to him on Instagram. Fulham’s pre-season friendly against Málaga ended in chaos when the Premier League side walked off before a penalty shootout, allowing Málaga to score into an empty net. Somali referee Omar Artan, denied entry to the US for the World Cup, went on to officiate the UEFA Super Cup and calls the journey his “World Cup.” Cristiano Ronaldo has married long-time partner Georgina Rodríguez in a civil ceremony in Portugal. Cameroon goalkeeper Michaely Bihina saved four penalties to upset host nation Morocco and reach the Wafcon final. The Chawinga sisters fired Malawi into the Wafcon final after a 3-1 win over Algeria. Barcelona and Real Madrid have released their new third kits for the 2026-27 season, sparking a Clásico kit clash. Barcelona will play Montpellier during a solar eclipse in Spain, with players advised to keep their eyes on the ball. The Chicago Stars fired head coach Martin Sjögren with the club bottom of the NWSL standings. Chelsea have been drawn against Luton Town in the Carabao Cup second round, while Tottenham host Charlton. Wayne Rooney will co-host a new Manchester United show alongside influencer Mark Goldbridge this season.