Monday News (includes West Ham)

[Alan]

BBC

Chelsea are lining up an offer for Sunderland's 19-year-old English midfielder Jobe Bellingham. (Sun, via Metro), external

Manchester United are monitoring Crystal Palace's French forward Jean-Philippe Mateta, 27, who has scored 12 goals in 27 Premier League appearances this season. (Sun), external

Manchester City are speaking to the representatives of Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz as they eye a potential summer deal for the Germany winger, 21. (Football Insider), external

Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are also interested in signing Wirtz, who is likely to leave Bayer Leverkusen this summer. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish), external

Chelsea and Barcelona have shown concrete interest in signing Portugal winger Rafael Leao, 25, from AC Milan. (Calciomercato - in Italian), external

Manchester City are considering making a summer bid for Crystal Palace's England midfielder Adam Wharton, 21. (TBR Football), external

England centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite could become Everton's highest-paid player as the 22-year-old will demand a contract worth about £150,000-a-week to remain at the club. (Football Insider), external

Everton will need to pay £40m to sign Ecuador centre-back Joel Ordonez, 20, from Club Brugge in the summer. (Football Insider), external

Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea have been keeping tabs on Inter Milan's France forward Marcus Thuram, 27. (TBR Football), external

Bayern Munich have gathered information about Bournemouth's Dean Huijsen, although the 19-year-old Spanish centre-back is not yet a specific target for this summer. (Florian Plettenberg), external

Deportivo La Coruna fear having to sell Spanish winger Yeremay Hernandez if they miss out on promotion to La Liga as his release clause in the summer would be about £30m and clubs such as Chelsea, Napoli and Como were close to signing the 22-year-old in January. (AS - in Spanish), external

Germany midfielder Joshua Kimmich, 30, is ready to sign a new deal with Bayern Munich until 2029. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Juventus want to agree another loan deal for Randal Kolo Muani in the summer and include an option to buy the France forward, 26, from Paris St-Germain. (Calciomercato - in Italian), external

Barcelona have begun talks over extending the contract of 34-year-old Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny. (Nicolo Schira), external

Former Atletico Madrid sporting director Andrea Berta has agreed to take on the same role at Arsenal, despite interest from the likes of Manchester United and Paris St-Germain. (Sky Sports)




Sky Paper Talk

THE SUN

Manchester United have an option to extend Kobbie Mainoo's contract by 12 months.

Belgium's No 1 Koen Casteels has quit the national team after Thibaut Courtois was allowed to make a comeback.

Manchester United will face off against Premier League rivals in a pre-season tournament in the United States that will see them travel nearly 9,000 miles.

  DAILY MIRROR

Aleksandar Mitrovic has been admitted to hospital due to a 'rapid heartbeat caused by physical stress', according to reports in Saudi Arabia.

Former Manchester United coach Benni McCarthy has revealed Erik ten Hag wanted to be in charge of the club "for the next 10 years" before he was sacked.

THE TELEGRAPH

The second half of England's Six Nations victory over Italy saw a drone trailing a Palestinian flag over the top of Allianz Stadium.

Tadhg Beirne and Andrew Porter have avoided disciplinary action despite France head coach Fabien Galthie launching a withering attack on "reprehensible" Irish behaviour after Saturday's match.

THE TIMES

Ian Wright has privately spoken to Women's Super League organisers to express his belief that relegation should not be removed from the division under any circumstances.

The squad for the British & Irish Lions tour to Australia this summer will be announced at a live event in front of 2,700 fans for the first time.

Ollie Lawrence faces missing the rest of the season, and the chance to tour with the British & Irish Lions this summer, after snapping his achilles in England's win over Italy.

Harry Brook has withdrawn from the IPL for the second year running, further raising the possibility that the Yorkshire batsman will take over as England's white-ball captain.

DAILY STAR

Jurgen Klopp has looked back at his managerial career and confessed how he missed out on two Premier League talismans.

Liverpool might still pocket a transfer fee for Trent Alexander-Arnold this summer, despite his contract expiring at the end of the season.

DAILY MAIL

Chelsea are reportedly among a trio of European heavyweights eyeing up a move for Sunderland star Jobe Bellingham.

Ruben Dias claimed the City Ground pitch was too dry during Manchester City's defeat at Nottingham Forest.

EVENING STANDARD

Tottenham's Cristian Romero credited Argentina's physios with his return to fitness after the defender made his comeback in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Bournemouth.

THE ATHLETIC

The LA Lakers' LeBron James is to miss up to two weeks off action after straining his groin in a loss to the Boston Celtics.

The Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen have agreed on a new deal that will keep the quarterback in Buffalo through the 2030 season, with the deal understood to be a six-year extension for $330m and includes a record $250m guaranteed.

DAILY RECORD

Bullish Antonio Conte claims Scott McTominay is in the clear over serious injury fears and offered Scotland boss Steve Clarke hope about his talismanic midfielder.

Hearts are braced for summer interest in James Penrice from south of the border.

SCOTTISH SUN

Lennon Miller could clinch a summer move to Union Saint-Gilloise and set up a huge switch to Brighton.





The Athletic

Manchester United, Everton, West Ham, Bournemouth confirmed for U.S. pre-season tournament

By Colin Millar, Laurie Whitwell

Manchester United, Bournemouth, West Ham United and Everton will compete in the Premier League’s Summer Series event in the United States at the end of July.

In February, The Athletic reported the four clubs would compete in the pre-season tournament that will be played across Atlanta, New Jersey and Chicago. NBC, the Premier League’s exclusive U.S. broadcaster, confirmed the details on Sunday.

While three of the four participating clubs are in the bottom half of the Premier League standings, they are all 16 points or more clear of the relegation zone with 10 rounds of action remaining and are anticipated to maintain their top-flight status.

The Premier League had intended for another of its leading clubs, alongside Manchester United, to participate in the tournament. There had been hopes that either Liverpool or Arsenal could accept an invitation, but the former have instead opted to play their pre-season in Japan and Hong with the north London club expected to do similar.

Manchester United already plan to go abroad in the post-season, embarking on a tour in Malaysia and Hong Kong which they anticipate will earn the club $10million (£7.9m) in revenue.

Manchester United will play West Ham in New Jersey on July 26, before playing Bournemouth in Chicago four days later and concluding their tour against Everton in Atlanta on August 3.

United may separately play a match at the Snapdragon stadium in San Diego, as they have done the previous two years when visiting the U.S. on tour. The club’s front-of-shirt sponsor is Snapdragon, part of the Qualcomm group, but an additional match to two existing tour plans may be gruelling for the squad.

Bournemouth visited the U.S. last summer and are seeking to grow their market share and fanbase in the country under American owner Bill Foley, who also controls the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL. They have USMNT midfielder Tyler Adams in their squad, as well as young 18-year-old American prospect Matai Akinmboni.

Everton are also under American ownership since The Friedkin Group (TFG) completed its takeover of the club in December.

The Summer Series will commence following the conclusion of the FIFA Club World Cup — which is also being played across the U.S. and includes Chelsea and Manchester City — on July 13.

The U.S., alongside Canada, will also host the Gold Cup tournament between June 14 and July 6.

While the Summer Series comes during a peak period of pre-season, there is unlikely to be too much competition in the U.S. due to the conclusion of the summer competitive tournaments and pre-season tours elsewhere in Asia, Australia and Europe.

This will be the second edition of the Summer Series, which commenced in 2023 but was cancelled in 2024 due to numerous complications around organising the event, which is the second pre-season competition affiliated to the Premier League to be hosted outside England after the Premier League Asia Trophy.

In 2023, Brentford, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Fulham and Brighton participated in the U.S. tournament with each team playing three fixtures, with Chelsea finishing in first place with two wins and a draw.

That edition of the tournament lasted for nine days from July 22-30, with the Premier League saying over 260,000 fans attended the series.

Premier League Summer Series fixtures

Saturday, July 26 at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey:

    Everton vs Bournemouth (4pm ET)
    Manchester United vs West Ham United (7pm ET)

Wednesday, July 30 at Soldier Field, Chicago:

    West Ham United vs Everton (5.30pm CT)
    Manchester United vs Bournemouth (8.30pm CT)

Sunday, August 3 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta:

    Bournemouth vs West Ham United (2pm ET)
    Manchester United vs Everton (5pm ET)

[Texas Iron]

Cheers…

[chim chim cha boo]

Thanks Alan. I think UK football markets itself poorly when it  comes to the US.  The Premier League is famous around the world for its physicality. Watching telly abroad the ads for the PL show crunching tackles and the hundred  violent acts that occur during a  normal Premier League game. American channels seem to fixate on what WE love about the game, 60 yard passes and an exceptionally talented winger dancing through three defenders. Americans on the whole couldn't give a fuck about that, they want to see broken legs!

The septics LOVE their sports bloody and most viewers skim past the football channels assuming football players are a bit mincey. Football is anything but girlie so should really focus on the violence and cheating elements of the game.

They are simple folk who want to see goodies versus baddies.  There you go, if anyone who works for the FA is reading this you owe me £500,000.

[With Kind Regards]

Thanks Alan.