Danny Welbeck has agreed to join Chelsea from Brighton and is set to have a medical at Stamford Bridge, the Press Association understands. The 35-year-old will then fly to Hong Kong to join his new team-mates on the second leg of their pre-season tour, having agreed a two-year deal. The former Arsenal and Manchester United striker emerged on Monday as a surprise candidate to bolster the Blues’ forward line after…
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has told the governing body’s 211 member associations they will each receive $40 million — but only if they approve his proposed private investment plan for the men’s World Cup by September, according to a letter seen by The Times. The newspaper reports that member associations have until Sept. 19 to vote on the proposal, which would allow private investors to buy stakes in the tournament.…
Palmeiras have rejected a €30 million ($34m) offer from Aston Villa for their Brazilian forward Allan, sources have told ESPN. The Premier League outfit presented a €25 million ($28m) bid plus €5m in add-ons for the versatile 22-year-old. Palmeiras turned down the offer as they consider Allan a key player and believe his market value will rise. Villa are looking to replace English forward Morgan Rogers, who joined Chelsea last…
Jack Grealish has been left out of Manchester City‘s squad for their preseason tour of Asia as he continues to recover from a foot injury. The 30-year-old hasn’t played since January after undergoing surgery while on loan at Everton. He returned to training with City last week, but was not part of the squad which travelled to Hong Kong on Tuesday. Enzo Maresca left the door open for Grealish to…
The Football Association and Concacaf have both said they are “deeply concerned” by FIFA’s proposed private investment plan, criticising the governing body over what they described as a lack of transparency and due process. FIFA announced on Tuesday proposals to set up a private company to run its competitions which would have links to the extended family of U.S. President Donald Trump. The FA said it was “completely unaware” of…
Xabi Alonso has said his Chelsea squad is in need of “balance,” as a move for Danny Welbeck reportedly edges closer. Chelsea have lacked experience in recent years and that was on show again in a pre-season friendly win over Western Sydney Wanderers on Tuesday, when the oldest starting player was just 23 years old. Surprise moves for both Welbeck and Jordan Henderson, 35 and 36 respectively, are in the…
Discrimination remains “deeply embedded” in English football, the chief executive of Kick It Out has said, with reports up 25% last season compared to the prior campaign. The charity received 1,744 reports in 2025-26, up from 1,398 in 2024-25, while the number of incidents passed the 1,000 mark for the first time — reaching 1,255. Reports and incidents differ in that one incident may be reported multiple times. The reports-per-incident…
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said “football does not belong to investors” as he joined the criticism of FIFA’s plan to set up a new private company to run the World Cup and other competitions. FIFA on Tuesday announced it was seeking to launch FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which would bring together the sale of FIFA’s commercial rights with the operational delivery of its tournaments. The new body would be…
BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona president Joan Laporta has revealed he is recovering from a heart problem after being admitted to hospital. Laporta, 64, was due to fly to England this week as part of Barça’s preseason preparations, but his plans have changed after an arrhythmia was detected. He underwent a procedure at a hospital in the Catalan city on Tuesday that he says successfully restored his heart’s normal rhythm. “Everything…
UEFA has rejected a reported FIFA proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors as a “line that football’s governing institutions should never cross” and that the World Cup is “not FIFA’s to sell.” FIFA on Tuesday said in a news release that it plans to “expand football development funding to over USD 10 billion subject to approval by FIFA Member Associations.” The release also said that…