While we don't suppose he intends to come out of retirement any time soon, David Beckham has announced the launch of his brand-new signature Adidas boot, which comes in a colurway that has become highly symbolic to the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and LA Galaxy star.

The new Predator Elite has been designed in collaboration with Beckham, himself a longtime Adidas brand ambassador, and signifies the 50-year-old's second limited-edition boot drop following the launch of the Predator 24 last year.

The boots are modeled to resemble the classic Predator boots favored by Beckham during his playing days, namely the Predator Accelerator that was first released in 1998 and featured similar curved stripes and oversized foldover tongue.

However, there is one notable change with the Predator Elite coming in an absolutely eye-popping shade of pink, drawn from the colors of Inter Miami CF, the MLS side co-owned by Beckham.

While star man Lionel Messi will be wearing his own line of signature Adidas boots, the new Beckham Predators are likely to be worn by Pedri, der Milito, Alessia Russo and two-time Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmat -- as well as Inter Miami's latest marquee signing (and Messi's fellow countryman) Rodrigo De Paul, who joined the club on loan from Atltico Madrid at the tail end of July.

There can't be many other examples of a new signing making his first few appearances for his new club in boots designed by his team's co-owner. In fact, we're fairly certain it could be a footballing first.

Source: espn.co.uk

Traditionally, the summer transfer window has been where fans of clubs in the Premier League and beyond can focus their energy during European football's increasingly diminishing offseason.

But these days, the clamor to see the latest kits unveiled ahead of the upcoming campaign is almost as intense as the yearning for new signings. A whole industry has sprung up online bringing official and leaked images of new home, away and third jerseys to fans for them to rate and slate. That doesn't even cover the wild world of matchday warmup kits, where it seems as though anything goes when it comes to the patterns and colors deployed by designers.

But if you think designing a football kit is easy and that anyone can do it, think again.

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"There's no other business in the world where your customers are actually paying you money to then celebrate and wear your brand wherever they go," said David Bruce, chief business officer at Sunderland, newly promoted back to the Premier League for 2025-26 after eight years away. "And then they show it off to all their friends, families and followers.

"They're walking, talking billboards for the football club, so we have to pay attention and give it the care and respect it deserves. It's their expression of desire and belonging [to the club], and their connection is the shirt. If you get it right, they'll buy it."

The first stage of designing a Premier League kit -- clubs and designers begin to discuss potential approaches, sources of inspiration and other such creative jump-off points with each other -- generally starts well over a year ahead of any planned release. That means the process of designing Sunderland's home kit for the 2025-26 season began while the club was still in the second-tier Championship.

"The concept needs to be really anchored in purpose and really anchored in reason," Bruce told ESPN. "Things are briefed 18 to 20 months before [the kits] come out, so we looked at what's ahead of us, what's going on in a particular season. [We wondered] how we could create something that can really land a great story that we know fans will get excited about."

Sure enough, the Black Cats' and manufacturers Hummel decided to use the Keel Crossing, a brand-new footbridge across the River Wear, as inspiration for the 2025-26 home kit. The 31 million bridge will connect the city center to the Stadium of Light when it opens this summer, so as a basis for a Sunderland kit, it was both timely and symbolic of the link between the people of the city and their beloved football club.

Rob Revell, who has been designing kits with Hummel for almost a decade and is in his third year working with Sunderland, knew from experience that the bridge concept was a winner having been through the design process thousands of times during his career.

"I'd say 50% of the clubs just don't give you a brief," he told ESPN. "It's good, in a way, because you can kind of guide them. But with Sunderland, it was a case of cutting it down from their concepts. There were maybe three different briefs [for the home kit] and this is the one we went with.

"It's an interesting one, but we were lucky that the timings worked out because we're talking about the construction of something -- it's all based on a new bridge."

With the concept chosen, work then begins to transpose that onto a football shirt. It can be a long journey that involves gathering research, drawing up initial sketches, collating technical information and feedback, and steadily creating a technical document covering every single facet of the kit in granular detail -- from the colors and graphics, to the materials and cut.

As the project's lead designer for Hummel, Revell is charged with creating and delivering the final set of shirt, shorts and socks that will be worn by the players on the pitch and the fans in the stands, repeatedly drafting and refining his designs along the way. However, he doesn't work alone and is assisted by a development team at Hummel as well as a small team on the Sunderland side to hammer out the fine details.

"The design is the easy part," said Revell. "But then you have to give it to a product development team and say, 'Right, this is what I want, can we afford this please, can I have this? Can I have this graphic here?'"

Having been allowed access to the diagrams by the local council, Revell took interesting elements of the architectural forms of the bridge such as the railings, the paving, the lighting and even the negative space of the structure.

"I was really lucky the council in Sunderland are really behind the club and they work really closely with them," he said. "They see how important the stadium is to the fans in the city center and obviously this bridge is paramount to that. We went to their offices and they took us through all their presentations and we were lucky they gave us architect sketches of what [the bridge] was going to be and so it was amazing."

Revell then hand-drew a selection of patterns inspired by the bridge plans and began exploring ways to meld them into a football kit. As a starting point, he incorporated those details into an initial slate of 20 different jersey designs, each featuring different elements of the bridge within the stripes of the jersey.

After receiving feedback from the club, he then produced a further dozen designs, this time adding in shorts and socks to give a sense of how the full kit would look. Then, after another round of consultation and mining the construction blueprints for more inspiration, Revell turned out a further 32 designs ranging from using the bridge details as refined pinstripes to creating jagged, angular bands that ran down the shirt.

As is often the case, having gone through more than 60 different possibilities, Revell eventually realized that his original idea was the best. The architectural illustrations of the bridge's side elevation were used to inspire a linear graphic that runs vertically down within the white stripes.

To ensure that the two-dimensional design works as an actual garment, a graphic known a "sublimation" -- using lines similar to the contour lines used to indicate changes in height on a map -- is created to illustrate how the shirt will fit on the wearer. This is then sent to the manufacturers for approval.

The kit is then capped off with all the extra flourishes, like the striped pattern on the sleeve cuffs and V-neck collar (known as "rib tipping").

The semicircular section on the back of the neck is known as the "buggy." For the Sunderland home kit, the logo of the bridge project is added on the outside, and the emblem of the city of Sunderland on the inside.

The whole design is brought together with a distinctive touch via the central placement of the sponsor logos and club crest (a subtle visual reference to the Niall Quinn-Kevin Phillips era of the late 1990s). The motto inside the collar encapsulates the concept of the shirt: "Connecting the city to the stadium."

And so, after many months spent finessing the design to the point it getting greenlit for manufacture, the new Sunderland home kit was ready to launch. As you might expect, it's a very nerve-wracking time for those involved as fans finally lay their eyes on the new kit for the first time.

"For me, there's no better feeling than when a shirt drops and it lands favorably with fans because I know it's the thing that they will buy more than anything else," said Bruce.

"If there's a good feeling among the fans, they're going to buy it and they're going to wear it with pride. And there's nothing better for me than driving around Sunderland and seeing young kids wearing the Sunderland kits."

Sunderland launch their new home kit with a centrally positioned crest for the first time since the 1990s.

Obviously the launch campaign also has to do the new kit justice, with Sunderland making the big reveal with a variety of marketing materials, including a great promo video (featuring a cameo from Phillips) to showcase both the kit itself and a few glimpses of the conceptual design behind it.

The launch also marks the end of a long and sometimes laborious road for the designers, although the sheer elation at seeing your handiwork being worn on a Premier League pitch never gets old.

"Just from an emotional side, you do so many different kits, you can't love them all, but it feels great when the season starts and you're watching a game on TV and suddenly you're seeing fans go to the stadium wearing the shirt," said Revell. "It's a kind of a relief too; we got the shirt done on time!

"It's great once people are buying it. It's lovely. It's also nice seeing the kids buy it. I've got a little one and it's really nice seeing them wear a full kit. That's the best part of it, to be honest."

ESPN FC senior editor Tony Mabert contributed to this report

Source: espn.co.uk

It felt like it took months to reach another five rounds of NWSL play (spoiler: it did), but it's that time again: Version 3.0 of ESPN's NWSL 2025 MVP Tracker.

Fifteen games are in the books for every NWSL team, meaning we are past the halfway point of the season. As we have been doing, we are keeping tabs on who could win the MVP award with a rolling tracker every five games.

- NWSL Power Rankings: Can anyone stop the Kansas City Current?

If you are expecting familiar names, well... you're about to find them. There are also some new names on the list who could surge up the rankings with a strong second half of the season.

Here's a look at where things stand, based on a mix of criteria from ESPN's advanced data and our expertise.

Not much has gone right in Courage Country this season, but Matsukubo has been a bright spot. She has four goals and four assists in 15 games, tied for fourth in the league in combined goal contributions. Manaka is the key to North Carolina's successful press and newfound transition play as one of the visionary midfielders in the league.

The battle between goalkeepers on this list keeps fluctuating, and the scale has tipped back toward Kansas City's shot-stopper. Lorena leads the league in clean sheet percentage and she's second in goals-against per 90. Oh, and she's done all that while there have been some changes to the defensive line in front of her. Kansas City has conceded only 10 goals in 15 games, a league best.

Thompson co-leads the NWSL in chances created this season, per ESPN TruMedia. She is arguably the most in-form American forward in 2025. Still, she falls in the rankings due to a scoring drought that has reached five games -- and coincides with a seven-game winless streak for Angel City (five of which are losses).

It's return to the list for Louisville's star, Flint. Racing Louisville continues to scrap for its first playoff appearance in franchise history, and Flint's towering presence in midfield is once again a driving force in that push. Flint ranks first in the NWSL in interceptions, duels and aerials, and second in tackles. She's a force.

Monday has put in one of the quieter MVP campaigns this season, but she is a big part of the Spirit's success. She has five goals and serves as the focal point of Washington's attack -- one that she has helped carry without Trinity Rodman, Croix Bethune or Ashley Hatch at different points of the season.

Banda is still a force and one of the best forwards in the NWSL, as her Ballon d'Or nomination confirms. She only has one goal in five games since dunking a hat trick on the last-place Utah Royals. That's worth monitoring since it was this time last year that she hit a dry spell for scoring.

Who is first in the league in touches, passes attempted and passes completed, per ESPN TruMedia? That distinction goes to Dali, one part of the French connection driving San Diego's success (more on that soon). Dali is one of the league's older players at 34, but that experience has helped her pick apart opposing midfields in tandem with Savannah McCaskill.

She's back on the field after a brief injury absence, and she's still well in the mix for MVP. Debinha was a clear early-season favorite for the award, and she remains one of the most productive players in the league, both creating and finishing chances. This is still shaping up to be the Brazilian's best season in years.

The Thorns are surging, and Coffey is the lynchpin. Her numbers won't necessarily jump out at anyone since she plays as a deep-lying midfielder, but ask any coach and they'll laud Coffey's game awareness. She is a focal point for Portland. She does have one eye-popping datapoint, per ESPN TruMedia: she's fourth in the NWSL in chances created.

Yet again we ask: Where would Gotham be without Esther? She is the NWSL co-leader with 10 goals -- more than half of Gotham's total scoring haul as the 2023 champs cling to the final playoff spot. Since our last MVP Tracker check-in, Esther has scored three times -- all crucial goals in victories that Gotham desperately needed.

Cascarino is the new creative standard in the NWSL. She is the league's co-leader with five assists, and she makes fans hold their collective breath each time she gets on the ball. She showed that off again on the world stage at the 2025 UEFA Women's European Championship this summer. Cascarino is the reason San Diego is in the thick of the playoff race, and the Wave need her to continue to thrive if they are going to make a real postseason push.

Inevitable: That's the recurring word around Chawinga. She proved why again last week with a last game-winning goal. Last year's MVP and Golden Boot winner is now tied for the league lead with 10 goals. She is remarkably consistent; Chawinga has scored one goal in seven of Kansas City's last eight games. That streak coincides with the Current's eight-game winning streak.

Fighting for inclusion on the list: Riley Tiernan (Angel City FC), Rosemonde Kouassi (Washington Spirit), Marta (Orlando Pride), Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns), Denise O'Sullivan (North Carolina Courage) Emily Sams (Orlando Pride), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville)

Source: espn.co.uk

Paris, London, Madrid ... Vancouver?

With no lack of eminent soccer cities across the globe that boast powerhouse clubs, it's no simple task trying to win over high-profile players in the sport, let alone in North America for MLS' mid-to-small markets in the United States and Canada.

Looking across the league, there's a clear advantage for metro areas like Miami, New York and Los Angeles when it comes to enlisting luminaries like Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry and David Beckham. In the past and the future, teams from those major regions will have no trouble convincing marquee stars to don their jerseys.

But what about the rest? Asking around the league, on-the-field factors are unsurprisingly the most significant variable for smaller-market clubs when it comes to their sales pitch. Job relocation is no simple task, even for star athletes, and they'll want to make sure the adaptation to their new place is a successful one.

Up north in Canada, that's exactly how the Whitecaps made headlines last week when they convinced Bayern Munich legend Thomas Mller to make the move to Vancouver. According to Whitecaps sporting director Axel Schuster, in a recent conversation with ESPN, "More than 80%" of the discussion with the World Cup winner was spent on "playing style, where would he play, how would we adjust, [and] how can we bring him in positions where he can help most and perform well."

Of course, that's just part of the pitch (no pun intended) for these clubs. With additional off-the-field variables such as a city's lifestyle, weather, training grounds and even personal branding on the line, plenty is going on behind the scenes before your soccer idol commits to play for your local MLS team.

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Chasing the next Mller, what do those conversations all look like? Through interviews with a handful of people in and around MLS, let's take a deeper dive into what the sales pitches are like from clubs in mid-to-small markets.

Schuster was adamant that first and foremost, Mller was convinced by the sporting project alone for the Whitecaps, noting that the important factor was a "45-minute purely tactical soccer talk" with the club's head coach. But that doesn't mean that the team's scenic surroundings don't play a role either, especially for other signings.

"We are Vancouver, we have mountains and Pacific beaches," the sporting director said. "We always say: don't ask us, don't listen to us, just go on Google and look at the 10 most livable cities in the world ... Vancouver pops up."

Far down the coast in California, similar conversations are had by expansion side San Diego FC, who have a new $150 million training facility tucked into an idyllic southern California valley that's dotted by palm trees.

"Seeing the players' faces on day one whenever they got here, even [Mexico international] Hirving [Lozano], right? Hirving's a guy that was at Eindhoven, but the fact is that you've got sunny blue skies here, you're surrounded by mountains," sporting director Tyler Heaps told ESPN about the club's picturesque facilities. "You also have these unbelievable pitches."

Sporting project aside for the league's newest franchise -- one that's currently at the top of the Western Conference standings -- the location of the border-town club was also key for bringing in a megastar like Lozano from a soccer career across the Atlantic.

"We're so close to Mexico," Heaps said. "That was also a big draw for him and his family, getting him back closer to home after a long period in Europe."

For Anders Dreyer, fellow Designated Player and member of arguably the league's most clinical attack, strings were pulled with finding commonalities through other Danish players that had already signed for San Diego, as well as through knowledge of how the club could play through sister Danish club FC Nordsjlland.

Unlike in Europe, the winger could also rest easy after a bad performance.

"Anders was at Anderlecht, where if you lose a game, you can't go out that night because the fans are that diehard," Heaps said. "That's not to say that ours aren't, but I think the American culture is just a little bit different. I think he's able to live his life in a way that he wants to live his life, so his family feels safe. He feels safe. He's able to go and do normal things.

"Does he get recognized? Of course he does. I think that's him and Hirving both ... [but] these guys are able to live much more normal lifestyles."

And if those players want to return to Europe for a quick trip? Teams on the East Coast, like Charlotte FC in North Carolina, don't have too much trouble providing a path to old stomping grounds.

"They are still surprised [at] how big the [Charlotte] airport is and therefore flights to London, Paris, Milan and Madrid are all direct," Charlotte general manager Zoran Krneta told ESPN about American Airlines' second-largest hub. "It helps a lot."

Following a historic two-decade run through European club giants, five-time Ballon d'Or winner and all-time leading UEFA Champions League goal scorer Cristiano Ronaldo nearly went to the "Paris of the Plains" in 2023.

"The Ronaldo thing was obviously, it was completely, it was in its own stratosphere," Peter Vermes, former Sporting Kansas City manager, told ESPN. Along with contract talks, lifestyle in Kansas City, discussions of style of play, and club infrastructure, they also talked "about jersey sales, you're talking about sponsorship deals that will be coming in."

Herculez Gomez and Cristina Alexander debate the biggest storylines and break down the best highlights that soccer in the Americas has to offer. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only)

For names like these, there's clearly much more to the careers of these larger-than-life personalities, and in Ronaldo's case, he is the most followed person on Instagram, who has helped sell products ranging from cologne, to automotive lubricants, to underwear.

"David Beckham's a perfect example. David Beckham came to America, I don't want to speak for him, but everything that I understand, he came because it was about building his North American brand ... a lot of it has to do with not now, but your brand even when you're done playing," Vermes said.

Doing so in Los Angeles is one thing, but doing the same in Kansas City? That's not exactly a straightforward process. That said, due to the travel for away games, Vermes would highlight those excursions as an opportunity for potential players to experience those destination cities, while also having the benefit of a small-town feel in Kansas City.

"You'll have a great life outside of soccer here because people are very respectful of your time and when you're out in the community. It's a big little city," the former coach said. "A lot of times we [play] on Saturdays and if you want to stay on a Sunday, we have Monday off. You can stay those two days in that city and have your family fly ... you don't have to live there and deal with the traffic."

On the field, off the field, a sales pitch was made to Ronaldo. Two introductory chats helped get the ball rolling, which led to "probably another three thereafter" as discussions escalated to include "quite a few people involved on both sides."

A deal for the Portugal international never got over the line. Instead of moving to MLS, the forward instead joined Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr, where he's still playing to this day.

Vermes has stated that doing the elevator pitch for the soccer was the easy part for deals like these, whereas off the field, it's much more challenging when "a lot of guys want to be in New York or want to be in California ... with Miami."

In the search for a new job, it doesn't hurt to have an impressive office space and environment. Although he isn't exactly at the same level of goal-scoring prowess as Ronaldo, Alan Pulido -- Sporting KC's Offensive Player of the Year in 2020 and MLS' Comeback Player of the Year in 2023 -- was immediately won over by what the club had to offer.

"He liked how competitive we were. He liked, he saw the atmosphere and ... the facilities, blown away," Vermes said about the former Mexico international. "[The training center] was brand-new, just opened in '18 ... he was excited about that."

Kansas City isn't alone when it comes to that modern infrastructure. San Diego's Heaps, who has previous experience as an analyst for the U.S. Soccer Federation, has praised many of the facilities he has visited across the country.

"I was fortunate with the national team to be able to see most of the ones in MLS. What I can say, having worked in Europe, is that these ones are state of the art and I think that is a huge attraction to these players. They come here and work every single day," Heaps said.

"If you can have everything that they need to not only play well now, but also to prolong their career, that's a really helpful thing for these guys, especially DPs, obviously, that are making significant amounts of income."

And there's something to be said there about extending those playing days.

In spite of MLS still shaking off a reputation as a "retirement league" for aging world-class players, there are undeniable reasons as to why many clubs continue to bring in veterans who can make an impact on and off the field. Those fields can literally be artificial, such as Vancouver's at BC Place, which remains a talking point in the soccer world in terms of the potential harm of those surfaces to players, but there's also a recognition that the actual standard of play on those fields is better than anticipated.

"He was pleasantly surprised of the level," Charlotte's Krneta said about marquee star Wilfried Zaha being introduced to the league. "He didn't expect the MLS to be so good. I mean, it's way better than he expected."

Dan Thomas is joined by Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and others to bring you the latest highlights and debate the biggest storylines. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only).

Vancouver's Schuster agreed.

"The positive development of MLS in the last 10 years, or in the last five-and-a-half years since I'm here, is that we became a league that a player like Thomas [Mller], Son [Heung-Min], Messi, [Emil] Forsberg -- you can extend this list forever -- see as a good platform to extend their career and play a little bit longer on a good competitive level," the sporting director said. "That's the big thing. Thomas was looking for somewhere where he can compete."

In the end, it is about what is done on the field. Over in Vancouver, as panoramic as the Canadian setting is, Schuster doesn't want that to be a distraction to the players he's adding.

"If somebody comes only to enjoy Vancouver, [which] is, as you know, one of the nicest, best cities in the world, then it might become a first step outside of the career of enjoying life and on a world tour," he said. "That's not what we want, and that's also not what Thomas wants."

Schuster was frank when noting that were it not for the recent progression of the Whitecaps project that earned them a place in this year's Concacaf Champions Cup final, a current spot at second in the Western Conference, and an attractive style of play, Mller likely wouldn't have signed his latest contract.

"He actually did his research," the Whitecaps' front office executive said. "Two years ago or three years ago, he never would have chosen Vancouver."

One spot ahead of them in the Western Conference, San Diego also feels similarly about its approach to the sport that could bring in the next game-changers.

"The style of play, I think that's also something that we leaned heavily into when we're recruiting these guys, is, we want to play a way that is attractive. We want to score goals ... we said all those in words to both of them [Lozano and Dreyer], but now we've also proven it," Heaps said.

"To play an attractive way, to play on the front foot, that's also beneficial for them, because they've got all these bonuses in their contracts, obviously, in terms of whether it's making an All-Star Game or Newcomer of the Year, MVP."

It's also important to recognize that these deals aren't simply one-way streets.

With Vancouver, which was thrashed 5-0 by Liga MX's Cruz Azul in the Concacaf Champions Cup final in June and narrowly knocked out by LAFC in Round 1 of last year's MLS Cup playoffs, Mller represents the missing link.

"You can be the last puzzle piece," Schuster said about chatting with the German attacking midfielder. "To go further and to compete for more."

Transfers like these, from the best clubs in world soccer and also to them through outgoing moves, bring more attention to MLS. As the league seeks to continue much-needed growth, it'll be dependent on non-major markets to help support MLS' evolution.

And sure, certain North American soccer cities may not be London, Paris or Madrid, but given time, they might be getting there.

"I mean, let's face it, people don't really know about Charlotte in Europe," Krneta said. "But the players are learning now."

Source: espn.co.uk

The 2025 MLS season continues to chug along, which means it's time for ESPN's Power Rankings.

Who's climbing the table, and who's in free fall? Our writers studied the action from across the weekend to order all 30 teams in the league. Let's dive in.

Previous ranking: 1

A late goal from Deandre Kerr meant the Union had to settle for a 1-1 draw with Toronto on Saturday. Fortunately for Philly, most of their rivals for the Supporters' Shield -- and the top spot in these rankings -- also suffered setbacks this weekend.

Previous ranking: 3

Hirving Lozano. Anders Dreyer. Who else? San Diego's two biggest stars scored in a 2-0 road triumph over Kansas City. Other players contributed, too, but Lozano didn't need them for his tackle, then long-range golazo to open the scoring in the 23rd minute.

Previous ranking: 2

Finding results even without Lionel Messi was a hallmark of Inter Miami's Supporters' Shield team last season, but life without Leo seems much tougher in 2025. Missing the Argentine superstar, Miami took the train to Orlando and fell 4-1 in a Clsico del Sol, lacking attacking punch and clearly failing to shut down Martn Ojeda and the Orlando attack.

Previous ranking: 4

Cincinnati fell 1-0 to Charlotte, failing to find the back of the net despite a typically creative display by Evander. Kvin Denkey made a late cameo for his return from injury. Getting him fully fit could make all the difference.

Previous ranking: 9

The Sounders smashed the Galaxy in Sunday's nightcap, winning 4-0 thanks to a Danny Musovski double and an impressive defensive performance. Seattle remains unbeaten since its Club World Cup adventure, also having navigated a perfect Phase One of Leagues Cup.

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Previous ranking: 6

A red card for dier Ocampo before the half-hour mark conditioned the Caps' 2-1 loss to San Jose. Fans feel they still could've hung in the mix were it not for a penalty whistled in the second half that Josef Martnez converted. Thomas Mller is in town and could debut next week.

Previous ranking: 10

Luis Muriel scored in the second minute and again in the 50th to help Orlando City past Floridian rivals Inter Miami in a 4-1 romp. The good times are rolling in Central Florida, and not just because of Sunday's win. The Lions are now undefeated in six matches and up to fourth place in the East.

Previous ranking: 5

Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis was busy early and often in a 3-1 loss to St. Louis. While the Leagues Cup break disrupted the rhythm a bit, it's the second straight defeat for Nashville and third in its past five.

Previous ranking: 7

The Crew will have to wait another week to return to MLS play after falling just shy of a return to the Leagues Cup quarterfinals, a tournament they won in 2024. Their game at NYCFC was rescheduled because of "required field maintenance at Citi Field," according to a statement.

Previous ranking: 11

Wilfried Zaha scored from a volley in the 80th minute to lift Charlotte to a 1-0 road victory in Cincinnati. After an up-and-down Leagues Cup, the Crown picked up right where they left off in MLS play, winning their fifth straight.

Minnesota conceded twice before getting a goal back from Tani Oluwaseyi in a 2-1 home loss against the Rapids. The Loons' underlying numbers look OK, but after a few speed bumps in Leagues Cup as well, a bit of concern might be merited.

Previous ranking: 12

The most important part of the weekend by far? Son Heung-Min suited up for LAFC. The South Korea superstar arrived only a few days ago, but he was already on the field in Bridgeview, where LAFC drew the Fire 2-2. Son drew a penalty moments after his former Tottenham Hotspur teammate Hugo Lloris came up with a few huge stops.

Watch the Game Highlights from Chicago Fire FC vs. LAFC, 08/09/2025

Previous ranking: 13

Preston Judd's stoppage-time goal lifted the Quakes to a 2-1 victory over Vancouver. The home points were welcomed, as they snapped a six-match winless skid.

Previous ranking: 14

Philip Zinckernagel continued to stake his claim as the best player no one seems to be talking about, with a pair of assists in a 2-2 Fire draw with LAFC. The late goal, conceded from the penalty spot, will stay with Gregg Berhalter, but his team is unbeaten in its past four.

Previous ranking: 15

The scheduled match against Columbus being postponed because of "required field maintenance" only serves as incentive for NYCFC fans to keep dreaming about their new stadium. The grand opening in 2027 can't come soon enough.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting ran his tally to 15 goals this season with a double in a 2-1 victory over Salt Lake. He's clearly feeling confident, going for a Panenka from the penalty spot in the 84th minute. It was saved, but he got his revenge by converting one awarded in stoppage time.

Previous ranking: 17

The issue all season has been scoring for Austin, so it won't be pleased that it went up 2-0 on the Dynamo only to settle for a 2-2 draw. The goals came from the penalty spot and on a deflection, but three points against a fellow Texas team would've been much sweeter for Los Verdes.

Jack McGlynn scores a pair of goals late as the Dynamo draw Austin FC.

Previous ranking: 19

After the blockbuster trade that sent Djordje Mihailovic to Toronto, the Rapids gave fans reason to believe there's life after the star. Young attacker Darren Yapi scored twice in a 2-1 road win against Minnesota, and the schedule looks much more merciful than it did in the past month or so.

Previous ranking: 16

A Maxime Crpeau mix-up allowed Dallas to get an early goal, and the Timbers couldn't recover in a 2-0 defeat in Texas. Santi Moreno missed the match ahead of a move to Fluminense, but the Timbers still will be frustrated to see a five-match unbeaten run end like that.

Previous ranking: 20

RSL led most of the match against the Red Bulls thanks to an early Zavier Gozo goal but fell 2-1 on Sunday. They'll be on the phone with the league office -- if they're not already -- about Diego Luna's strange sending-off plus penalties in the 84th and 99th minutes.

Previous ranking: 22

In the first match since offseason acquisition Luciano Acosta was transferred to Fluminense, FCD were able to manage well without the playmaker. Petar Musa finished from a fortunate moment and Lalas Abubakar added insurance in a 2-0 win over the Timbers. Michael Collodi, in for injured goalkeeper Maarten Paes, who suffered a hamstring injury in training, also excelled.

Previous ranking: 21

Jack McGlynn's goals in the 80th and 89th minutes showed the Dynamo weren't going to stop fighting in a 2-2 draw with Copa Texas rival Austin. The fight was needed after a tough Leagues Cup, and Saturday's stalemate took the tally to seven matches without a win for Houston.

Previous ranking: 23

The Galaxy fell 4-0 to Seattle, and while it was a lopsided result, there might still be positives to take from August. The Galaxy made the Leagues Cup quarterfinals with a win over Santos Laguna on Thursday night, but the three-day turnaround was far too much for this depleted team to manage.

Daniel Musovski's brace leads the Sounders to a dominant victory over the Galaxy.

Previous ranking: 24

Dante Sealy scored a goal from a nice team move, but Montral couldn't protect it in a 1-1 draw with Atlanta. The point was enough to jump D.C. and get out of last place in the Eastern Conference.

Previous ranking: 26

Matt Turner was back in goal, and suddenly it felt a bit like the old days. The United States shot stopper had a strange summer but is back at home and made a trio of saves. He got support from Leo Campana and Carles Gil in a 2-0 win over D.C.

Previous ranking: 25

Sporting KC were trying a few things out in a 2-0 loss to San Diego, actually finishing with a higher xG than the visitors, but it's clear not enough danger is being generated, with SKC shut out for the second contest in a row.

Previous ranking: 28

Let the Djordje Mihailovic era begin! The playmaker arrived from the Rapids in a big-money trade and immediately started creating chances. His six chances created led the match. Soccer is a funny game, though, and TFC scored an equalizer just after he was subbed out and snatched a 1-1 draw with Philadelphia.

Previous ranking: 29

St. Louis secured its fifth win of the season with an impressive 3-1 victory over Nashville. STL attacked early and often and got a great game from goalkeeper Roman Brki, even if his penalty save was wiped off because the goalkeeper came off his line.

Previous ranking: 27

Alexey Miranchuk again rescued a point late for Atlanta in a 1-1 draw with Montreal. While a Leagues Cup win gave the club a fleeting positive moment, this was the ninth consecutive match without a league victory for Atlanta.

Previous ranking: 30

D.C. lost 2-0 to the Revs on Saturday. It has lost five straight in MLS play for the first time since 2020. It's now 10 games without a win across all competitions.

Source: espn.co.uk

Manchester United have gone back to the glory days of the mid-1990s in search of inspiration for their new retro third kit -- and can you blame them?

The choice of colours alone will instantly ignite nostalgic pangs in all supporters of a certain vintage when they see Ruben Amorim's players run out wearing it during the 2025-26 Premier League season.

- Premier League 2025-26 kits: Ranking every jersey released- When Manchester United's Eric Cantona attacked a fan in 1995

The black, yellow and blue palette is immediately reminiscent of the away kit worn by United between 1993 and 1995. The jersey is perhaps most famously (or infamously) remembered as being the one worn by Eric Cantona when he leapt over the hoardings to kung fu kick a Crystal Palace fan at Selhurst Park in 1995, earning him a nine-month ban.

Three decades on, the design has been revived with the new interpretation looking more contemporary, though arguably less characterful. Gone is the iconic foldover collar (which Cantona chose to wear popped and jutting up beneath his jawline) and in its place is a soft V-neck design that sees the yellow and blue added as delicate pinstriping.

Just as with the 1990s classic there are subtle, glossy vertical stripes woven into the material to add a touch of texture to the black jersey. The vintage trefoil emblem is a great retro touch and the same can also be said about the lovely, oversized United crest that is affixed to the chest.

The club and manufacturers Adidas enlisted another mercurial United great, Dimitar Berbatov, to star in the launch promo for the jersey, with the Bulgarian inviting players into his dojo to learn the discipline and technique required to make it to the top. But the vibes from the kit are pure Cantona

It's not quite on par with the original, but the remake is likely to go down well with today's United supporters, even if the club's current No. 7, Mason Mount, has a lot of work to do to emulate Cantona's legendary status.

Source: espn.co.uk

It's Monday, and another week of NWSL action is in the books, which means it's time for ESPN's Power Rankings.

Who's climbing the table? Who's in free fall? Our writers studied the action from across Matchday 15 to come up with this week's order of all 14 teams in the league. Let's dive in.

Previous ranking: 1Next match: Saturday, Aug. 16 vs. Orlando Pride, 4 p.m. ET

The Current weren't at their best on the road in Utah on Friday, but with Temwa Chawinga up to her old game-changing tricks, it meant an otherwise unimpressive showing didn't come back to bite them. Chawinga's goal in the 82nd minute was the match's only goal, giving Kansas City a 1-0 win, their 13th out of 15 games this season. Adding to the spectacle was Ally Sentnor playing the second half against her old team just over a week after a blockbuster trade saw her exchange Salt Lake City for Kansas City. The rich keep getting richer.

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Previous ranking: 2Next match: Friday Aug. 15 vs. Racing Louisville, 8 p.m. ET

Despite playing on the road, it will be difficult for the Spirit to view a 0-0 draw with Gotham on Saturday as anything other than two points dropped. After the hosts went down to 10 players following Geyse's red card in the first half, Washington controlled the ball, but couldn't break the deadlock. On a more positive note, Trinity Rodman made her second-consecutive appearance since returning from injury. Factoring in stoppage time, the U.S. women's national team superstar played 40 minutes off the bench and is getting closer to full fitness.

Previous ranking: 4Next match: Saturday Aug. 16 at Kansas City Current, 4 p.m. ET

The Pride threw nearly everything they could at Racing Louisville on Saturday, only to end up with a single point in the form of a 1-1 draw in front of the Orlando crowd. After failing to convert two penalties, it's difficult to place blame anywhere but on the field. Between sloppy finishing and a rare lapse in their transition defending that allowed Louisville to take a lead in first-half stoppage time, Orlando left points on the table and allowed the gap between them and the first-place Kansas City Current to grow even larger, to 12 points with 11 games remaining.

Previous ranking: 3Next match: Saturday, Aug. 16 at Bay FC, 10 p.m. ET

Late-game fireworks were the order of the evening in Southern California on Saturday. The two goals in San Diego's 1-1 draw with Angel City came in the 85th and 92nd minutes, with substitute Makenzy Robbe putting the Wave ahead before Alanna Kennedy leveled less than 10 minutes later. Though San Diego's unbeaten streak is now up to four games, this weekend's draw served as a reminder that the Wave have work to do in attack. According to FBref, they've only generated over 1.1 xG twice in their last eight games. The result of that sluggish attack on Saturday? More dropped points at home.

Previous ranking: 6Next match: Saturday Aug. 16 at North Carolina Courage, 7:30 p.m. ET

For the third time this season, the Portland Thorns bagged four goals in a single game, besting Seattle Reign FC by a 4-2 scoreline to close out the weekend's slate. After a Sam Coffey penalty kick equalized for Portland, Reilyn Turner, Reyna Reyes and Pietra Tordin all worked their way onto the scoresheet for the hosts in a game won by committee. With the Thorns playing out of a narrow 4-2-3-1 formation, Seattle simply didn't have answers for Portland's devastating attacking waves. With three wins from their last four games, the Thorns are red-hot.

Previous ranking: 5Next match: Monday Aug. 18 vs. Chicago Stars FC, 10 p.m. ET

Despite taking an early lead through teenage attacker Emeri Adames, Seattle simply couldn't stop Portland from finding the back of Claudia Dickey's net in a 4-2 loss on Sunday. Even when a goal from Jessica Fishlock cut the Thorns' lead to a single goal partway through the second half, Pietra Tordin almost immediately doubled the lead for the hosts. The Reign were second best for the vast majority of Sunday's contest at Providence Park and saw their four-game unbeaten streak broken along the way.

Previous ranking: 8Next match: Friday Aug. 15 at Washington Spirit, 8 p.m. ET

Jordyn Bloomer, take a bow. Racing Louisville's starting goalkeeper had a career day in her team's 1-1 draw with the Orlando Pride on Saturday. Bloomer saved not one, but two penalties for Louisville in a matchup with one of the most dangerous attacks in the NWSL. Thanks to the 27-year-old's heroics in goal and a well-worked transition attack moments before the halftime whistle, Louisville earned a difficult road point in Orlando.

Previous ranking: 9Next match: Sunday, Aug. 17 vs. Houston Dash, 4 p.m. ET

Though they wanted more than a single point at home against the Washington Spirit, NJ/NY Gotham extended their unbeaten streak to four games with a 0-0 draw on Saturday afternoon. A red card for Geyse in the 30th minute changed the contest, forcing the hosts to spend more time defending and less dictating the game in front of the Sports Illustrated Stadium crowd. Gotham's talent level and results still haven't quite clicked this year, even as results roll in.

Previous ranking: 7Next match: Saturday Aug. 16 vs. Portland Thorns, 7:30 p.m. ET

The Courage are tough to play at home, and the team successfully fended off a strong San Diego squad in a 0-0 draw in North Carolina. However, with the second half of the season officially underway, they're still sitting below the playoff spots with time ticking to kick-start momentum.

Previous ranking: 10Next match: Friday Aug. 15 at Utah Royals, 10 p.m. ET

Angel City's 1-1 draw on the road in San Diego on Saturday was all about resilience. Though they fell behind late in the second half, Kennedy's 92nd minute equalizer rescued a point for her team against the Wave. Their own attack was far from firing, but Angel City did well to absorb San Diego's attacking pressure -- the visitors ceded 61% of the ball to their hosts and were rarely punished for it. Still, draws have to start turning into wins for Angel City FC: they're winless since May.

Previous ranking: 11Next match: Saturday Aug. 16 vs. San Diego Wave, 10 p.m. ET

Despite generating more danger than their opponents in the final third, Bay FC couldn't earn anything more than a 1-1 draw on the road against Chicago Stars FC. Taylor Huff opened the scoring for the visitors in the 29th minute, but the scoreline remained deadlocked after a concession later in the first half. Despite four-straight quality attacking performances dating back to before the NWSL's summer break, Bay FC have gone winless in those four matches. They remain on the outside of the playoff field looking in.

Previous ranking: 13Next match: Sunday, Aug. 17 at Gotham FC, 4 p.m. ET

Up against the North Carolina Courage days into a managerial shift that saw Sean Nahas fired, the Houston Dash managed their first home win since April. Thanks to a game-winning goal from Sophie Schmidt deep into second-half stoppage time, Houston's counter-attacking approach paid off to the tune of a 2-1 victory. Outside of a penalty concession in the first half, Houston did well to absorb pressure to limit North Carolina's chances. That counts as progress for the Dash.

Herculez Gomez and Cristina Alexander debate the biggest storylines and break down the best highlights that soccer in the Americas has to offer. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only)

Previous ranking: 12Next match: Monday Aug. 18 at Seattle Reign, 10 p.m. ET

The Stars' quest for their second win of the season continues following their 1-1 draw with Bay FC on Sunday. Shea Groom scored Chicago's lone goal of the day and was a bright spot for the hosts, creating looks for both herself and her teammates in a central attacking role. Even still, Chicago Stars FC were out-possessed, out-shot, out-xG-ed, and generally outplayed by Bay. There's no shortage of work to be done in the Windy City.

Previous ranking: 14Next match: Friday Aug. 15 vs. Angel City FC, 10 p.m. ET

There's little doubt that it will have pained Utah to see Ally Sentnor coming on to start the second half on Friday ... wearing another team's colors. The U.S. women's national team forward entered the match between the Royals and the Current as a substitute for Vlatko Andonovski's team. Utah, despite limiting Kansas City to their second-lowest xG total of any game this season based on FBref's data, couldn't mount enough in the attack to get on the board in a 1-0 loss. Still searching for their second win of the season, things keep getting worse.

Source: espn.co.uk

Manchester United started this summer looking for a new striker and, after completing the signing of Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, they've got their man.

The 22-year-old Slovenia international has moved to United in a deal that could be worth up to 85 million and has signed a five-year contract until 2030.

Unveiled on the pitch at Old Trafford ahead of the friendly against Fiorentina on Saturday, Sesko got the loudest cheer as he walked out to join Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Diego Len in the center circle.

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"He has the characteristics that we needed," United head coach Ruben Amorim told MUTV before kickoff. "He is really young, he is good in the air, he is good at running the channels and he is good on the ball, so I think he has great potential. I think he can improve a lot.

"For sure, he is going to feel at home in our club. He is the right character in this group, so we are really, really happy to have him."

United aren't hiding the fact that Sesko wasn't their first choice this summer. The need for a new striker was identified by Amorim and his staff very quickly, but it was Liam Delap who was top of their list.

Delap's 30m release clause made him an attractive target. United held constructive face-to-face talks with his representatives and agreed on the framework of a deal. Ipswich Town, Delap's club, were also informed that the release clause would be met if the 22-year-old chose Old Trafford. In the end, he picked Chelsea.

After interest in Hugo Ekitike (who signed for Liverpool) and Viktor Gykeres (who joined Arsenal) came to nothing, United turned their attention to Sesko and Ollie Watkins.

Watkins (29), like Cunha and Mbeumo, has Premier League experience. But Sesko is younger with a high ceiling.

Once it was decided that Sesko was the better bet, it was about battling Newcastle United for his signature.

Newcastle's tactic was to first agree a deal with RB Leipzig and hope pressure from the German club would push Sesko toward St James' Park.

Man United, meanwhile, chose a different approach. First they sold Amorim's project to Sesko and agreed on personal terms. Once RB Leipzig knew that he only wanted Man United, negotiations between the two clubs moved quickly. Newcastle were prepared to outbid Man United, but once Sesko had made up his mind, it didn't matter.

Manchester United introduce Benjamin Sesko to Old Trafford ahead of their friendly vs. Fiorentina.

"He wanted Man United," a source close to Sesko told ESPN. "Man United have wanted him since his time at RB Salzburg. Every window, he was speaking with Man United. Now was the right time."

The bulk of the transfer was done in a day, which is rare. There were no last-minute demands for more money -- which has happened regularly with new United signings -- and negotiations were concluded relatively quickly. United staff were also impressed that Sesko turned up to Carrington with no entourage in tow. Just the player and one agent to sort the final details.

The move has been a long time coming. Sesko was first on United's radar when he was flagged by academy scouts as a teenager. Club bosses met his representatives in 2023 -- before his move from Salzburg to Leipzig -- but left feeling that the decision to stay within the Red Bull system had already been made.

United felt Sesko's representatives -- who also met with almost every other major club around the same time -- were looking for a steppingstone before moving to one of Europe's big leagues.

RB Leipzig provided that and, knowing that he would stay for only a couple of years, were able to offer a more lucrative contract. Sesko's plan has worked, and, after two years in Germany, he has made it to the Premier League.

Much of what attracted United then -- and when he was a teenager -- is still true now.

He's considered a top prospect with outstanding physical attributes. His pace and height should make him a fit for English football, and Amorim is backing himself to develop the rest and make the potential 85 million look like a bargain in the next few years. -- Rob Dawson

Shaka Hislop and Craig Burley debate whether Manchester United's positive preseason will change their outlook for the upcoming Premier League campaign.

Sesko is emerging as one of Europe's most complete center forwards, having been on the scouting short list of many elite European clubs since the age of 16. Standing at over 6-foot-3 and equipped with decent athleticism, Sesko offers a fine combination of physical presence, high technical levels and powerful running capacity. In terms of how he can be played into and mere finishing qualities, he represents a true No. 9 "platform" or target man, but at 22 there are still areas to polish.

While his towering frame and leaping ability make him an obvious target for crosses, there's much more to his game. Sesko thrives when played in on goal through the middle, using a combination of strength and long-legged stride to pierce defensive lines, often arriving at the blind side of the center back. His ability to hold off challenges, win free kicks or simply buy time for his team to push up is a crucial asset -- and he has shown enough development in linkup play to operate as a target man, though there's more to come in that regard.

With a neat first touch, he can offer flicks, layoffs and short combinations under pressure, helping establish possession in advanced areas. Sesko is no sprinter in the classic sense, though his top-end speed is impressive for a center forward of his size. Last season, he recorded a rapid 34.9 km/h, which is more than enough to trouble most high defensive lines in transition.

Perhaps the biggest step forward, however, has come in the final third. Sesko has hit double figures in goals in three consecutive seasons, and though 14 and 13 league goals in the past two seasons (in a league where the top scorer typically scores 30-plus) are not sky-high figures, his performance points to a high minimum and highlights improving productivity and confidence. Though he's not yet among Europe's most prolific strikers, he strikes the ball with remarkable precision and power, especially on his preferred right foot. He's capable of testing goalkeepers from most angles and distances, though the majority of his goals tend to come from within 8-12 meters, usually from slightly left-of-center positions.

He's also a fast executor in front of goal and is adept at setting his body quickly, getting shots off without needing extra touches. That decisiveness gives him an edge in tight spaces, especially in the penalty area but also from further out. On top of that, he shows a sharpness in reacting to rebounds and loose/second balls, which is an instinctive element many of United's recent forwards have lacked. -- Tor-Kristian Karlsen

As with most strikers his age, there are refinements to make. Decision-making in the final third is one such area. While his dribbling ability is better than that of most center forwards, Sesko occasionally misjudges whether to take on a defender, shoot or release a teammate.

His shot volume -- averaging a fairly modest 2.24 attempts per 90 minutes last season -- could also do with an increase, especially considering the quality of his ball-striking. A figure closer to 3.0 (or even beyond) is justified for a player with such a good strike on the ball.

For a player with his physical profile, Sesko's duel success rate is also modest. He won just 33% last season, and again that's somewhat low for a player of his size and strength. This might stem from his own self-image: rather than playing like a traditional "bruiser" No. 9, Sesko operates more as a technical, timing-based striker. That said, in the Premier League, where physical duels are a given, becoming more assertive in challenges is crucial if he's to be a success.

There's also a question of rhythm. While his overall numbers are solid, he tends to score in streaks. Last season, he endured separate barren spells over two six-game periods -- a pattern that suggests he's still learning to manage form and confidence over the course of a campaign. -- Karlsen

Dawson's view: Sesko is coming in to be the central striker in Amorim's 3-4-3 system. He'll be expected to run in behind, hold up the ball and link play. In theory, his physical attributes should mean he can do it all, although the Premier League is a different test from the Bundesliga.

The unknown about Sesko's arrival is the knock-on effect it could have on the rest of the team. United have spent more than 130 million on Cunha and Mbeumo and, presumably they've been earmarked to fill the two No. 10 roles. That would mean Bruno Fernandes will have to play deeper in midfield. The United captain did it regularly last season, but Amorim has hinted that he prefers the Portugal midfielder to play higher up the pitch.

Fernandes has to start, and if Amorim's best team also includes Cunha, Mbeumo and Sesko, that means he will have to play as a No. 6 alongside one other. Right now, the options are Casemiro, Manuel Ugarte or Kobbie Mainoo. Each has different characteristics, but none of the three is particularly mobile. It caused problems last season when opposing teams exploited big gaps between midfield, wing backs and center backs.

Sesko's arrival has pushed United's spending through the 200m mark, but there's still hope they can do a bit more business before the deadline.

They first need to find moves for Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Antony, Tyrell Malacia and, possibly, Rasmus Hjlund. Deals for Garnacho and Hjlund could yet raise close to 100m in fees. If that were to happen, it could allow United to firm up interest in Brighton & Hove Albion's Carlos Baleba or another box-to-box midfielder.

That would give Amorim's team a more balanced look ahead of the new season. For now, though, he can be happy that the preseason mission to revamp an attack that struggled last season has been completed with the arrival of Sesko.

Karlsen's view: The Slovenian feels like a natural fit for Amorim's United, not least because he offers something the team lacked last season: a genuine, reference-point No. 9.

While some scouting algorithms incidentally throw up Hjlund as the nearest stylistic peer, the former RB Leipzig forward is a more efficient and cold-blooded finisher. Crucially, he also brings a steadier, more fixed focal point to the center of attack.

There's no secret that United's efficiency in the attacking box has been questionable for quite some time. Sesko's ability to read second balls, pounce on rebounds and occupy central zones will directly address that issue. He should also link well with midfield runners and advanced full backs.

His ability to bring others into play through simple layoffs or combinations, especially with his back to goal, makes him a facilitator as well as a finisher. Although he's not the finished article, Sesko has all the core tools -- he just lacks some consistency and sharpening -- to lead the line at a Premier League giant. If Amorim can work on his decision-making and further improve his physical dominance, United might just (finally) have found their long-term No. 9.

Source: espn.co.uk

After Wrexham won their third successive promotion -- the first-ever team in the history of organized English soccer to do so -- their billionaire, superhero co-owner had a message for the haters.

"I remember the first time I did a press conference there," Ryan Reynolds said, "and one of the media people asked me, 'How far do you think this dream goes?' And I said, 'Well, we're going to take this team to the Premier League,' and they laughed and even the players laughed. But they're not laughing now. We're in the Championship."

Ever since the "Deadpool" star paired with Rob Mac -- formerly Rob McElhenney of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" -- to buy the club in 2021 and turned the experience into a docuseries, they've been talking about the Premier League.

"We say this all the time, but we want to be in the Premier League, as crazy as that sounds to some people," Reynolds told ESPN in 2023. "If it is theoretically possible to go from the fifth tier in professional football to the Premier League, why wouldn't we do that? Why wouldn't we use our last drop of blood to get there? We're in it for the ride. This is a multi-decade project."

They're not the only ones talking about it, either. Earlier this year, NPR's "Morning Edition" ran a segment that not only suggested Wrexham will one day make the Premier League, but that they'll eventually host Real Madrid for a Champions League match.

Now, I'm guilty, too. Back when they earned promotion from the National League to League Two, I wrote a piece with the following headline: "Could Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham honestly ever reach Premier League?" And, well, they are one season away from promotion to the Premier League, as they will make their Championship debut on Saturday against Southampton. But they're also one season away from relegation to League One.

While they've mostly been able to overpower their lower-league opponents with brute-force spending, the club now face an altogether different kind of challenge in England's second tier. For the first time since Reynolds and Mac took over, Wrexham are going to be serious underdogs on and off the field.

Over the past 12 seasons, 36 clubs have been promoted from League One up to the Championship. Here's what happened to each one after a season:

Stayed up: 25 (69%) Relegated: 10 (28%) Promoted: 1 (3%)

If we go off the base rates, then it's nine times more likely that a promoted club to the Championship gets relegated back down to League One than it gets promoted to the Premier League. Except, if you squint hard enough, you can see some similarities between Wrexham and the only team that made the leap in one season.

Under first-time manager Kieran McKenna, Ipswich Town were promoted from League One in 2022-23 after finishing second with 98 points and a plus-66 goal differential. The following season, they were then promoted from the Championship after finishing second with 96 points and a plus-35 goal differential.

Wrexham, of course, were promoted from League One in 2023-24 after finishing second with 88 points and a plus-37 goal differential. And then this past season, they won promotion again with 92 points and a plus-33 goal differential.

Except, Wrexham don't want to pull an Ipswich. They said as much to ESPN's Joey Lynch during their tour of Australia this past month.

"I have no doubt we can arrive at Premier League at some point," Wrexham CEO Michael Williamson said, "but what I want to make sure is that we're future-proofing so that when we arrive there, we're able to stay there and that we don't just come falling crashing back down like you've seen other clubs do."

In the Premier League this past season, Ipswich won four games, ended the season with a minus-46 goal differential and finished 19th.

Since the league itself is relatively popular and one good-to-great season puts you in the Premier League, Championship clubs both have way more money to spend than League One clubs and they spend a higher proportion of their money than any other league in the world.

For the 2023-24 season, per data from Kieron O'Connor's Swiss Ramble, Premier League clubs made 317.5 million on average, while Championship clubs took in 39.9 million and League One teams reported revenues of 9.4 million. For the same season, Premier League clubs spent 289.5 million on transfer fees and wages, Championship clubs clocked in at 48 million and League One clubs spent 9.8 million.

What that means is that Premier League teams spent 95% of what they made and League One teams were essentially putting all their revenue (101%) back into wages. With a handful of Premier League teams not really at risk of relegation but also not in contention for a title, it makes some financial sense that not everyone is maxing out their competitive spending. In League One, everyone is trying to avoid relegation and eventually get promoted, so a little more money gets poured back into player costs.

Well, in the Championship, spending on wages and transfer fees made up a whopping 121% of revenue. With an average revenue increase of nearly 280 million between the top-flight and second-tier teams, clubs are not trying to make year-on-year profits in the Championship. They're doing whatever it takes to get promoted, season after season. And the promotion structure -- with two clubs automatically going up and the next four in the table fighting it out in a playoff -- makes it so more than half of the clubs in the league can convince themselves that they're just a season away from the Premier League.

On top of all that, the finances in the Championship are way more unequal than they are in League One. Since teams relegated from the Premier League get a succession of parachute payments in the years following their demotion, the teams at the top of the Championship can carry way more expensive rosters than the just-promoted clubs down at the bottom.

In 2023-24, the highest revenue recorded by a Championship club was 127.6 million and the lowest was 16.6 million. In League One, the difference was between 21.3 million and 5.8 million. It's a similar story with wage spending. In the Championship, the high was 107 million and the low was 12.9 million. In League One, the difference was between 22 million and 4 million.

In the Championship, then, the biggest payroll is more than eight times more expensive than the smallest wage bill. In League One, it's an increase of about five and a half.

It will be a while until we have access to Wrexham's true finances for this upcoming season, but multiple studies have found that the crowd-sourced transfer valuations at Transfermarkt serve as a very accurate proxy for a team's wage bill. And that, in turn, is a rough proxy for a team's talent level.

So far this summer, Wrexham have signed eight players for fees totaling to an estimated 12.8 million. Among them: former England international Conor Coady, former Premier League striker Kieffer Moore, former Liverpool goalkeeper Danny Ward and former Premier League midfielder Lewis O'Brien.

Since June 1 -- when the transfer window briefly opened for two weeks -- the transfer value for Wrexham's squad has increased by 110.3%, the second-highest mark in the league.

The result of more than doubling the value of their squad in just two months? Wrexham currently have the 21st-most valuable roster in a league with 24 teams.

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Their team is worth 28.7 million. The Championship average club has a roster valued at 70.8 million. The most valuable roster, Leicester City, is worth 208.1 million, while the other two clubs just relegated from the Premier League, Southampton and Ipswich Town, have rosters valued at more than 180 million.

The reality is that Wrexham's roster isn't close to seriously competing for promotion. Of course, this is soccer, and weird stuff happens every season. It's a lot easier to bounce up to sixth than first, and once you're in the promotion playoff, anything can happen. But we just haven't seen this club outsmart its opponents and be efficient with its spending yet. Wrexham have been one of the richest teams with one of the most expensive rosters in every other league in which they've competed.

In fact, the only team we've seen them be at a significant financial disadvantage to was Birmingham City in League One this past season. Wrexham finished 19 points and 20 goals behind Birmingham this past season. They were closer to not getting promoted than they were to catching Birmingham and based on Transfermarkt's estimates, summer spending by Birmingham has increased their roster value by 40 million. Even with that, five other Championship teams still have more valuable squads than Birmingham and two others have similarly valuable rosters.

There's also just not a ton of room for internal improvement at Wrexham, either. Very few players are likely to get better. The average age of their current roster is 27.7 -- almost at the tail end of a soccer player's peak years from 24 to 28. They currently represent the second-oldest team in the Championship, after Derby County who finished this past season in 19th.

So, what might it all mean for this season?

Based on projections from the consultancy Twenty First Group, its simulations expect Wrexham to score 44.9 goals -- 22nd-most in the league, 9.6 fewer than league-average -- and concede 53.9 goals, good for 11th-fewest in the league and 0.6 fewer than league-average. That's what Wrexham's makeup was this past season, too: only Birmingham conceded fewer goals in League One, but seven sides scored more.

And for now, it probably is the right balance. This is an old team that's still way-too-reliant on a British and Irish player pool. To maximize its chances in the future and find a way to score more goals, the team are going to have to eventually extend their scouting search beyond a couple islands in the Atlantic Ocean.

As currently constituted, though, Wrexham are way more likely to have a successful season by leaning on the defense, rather than risking being too aggressive and ending up with the deadly combination of a bad attack and a bad defense. The latter could raise their ceiling, but the former will raise their floor.

Eliminating as much downside as possible is what they need to do. According to Twenty First Group, Wrexham have a 3.6% chance of being promoted -- and a 19% chance of being relegated.

After three successive promotions since Reynolds and Mac took over, success won't be continued upward movement. No, a successful season for Wrexham is anything that doesn't send them back down.

Source: espn.co.uk

Like father, like son is the saying, and the old adage was made true by United States men's national team stalwart Timothy Weah on Wednesday.

USMNT's Weah joins Marseille from Juventus2dESPNUSMNT 2026 World Cup Big Board 1.0: Early picks for Pochettino's team21hJeff Carlisle

Weah's surname comes with some serious history in the world of football -- his father, George Weah, was a prolific forward who became the only African player to win the Ballon d'Or in 1995.

One of the final moves of the elder Weah's distinguished career came in 2000, when he signed with French club Olympique de Marseille. As part of the move, Weah was featured on the cover of French football magazine Onze Mondial.

Twenty five years after George Weah put pen to paper with the club, his son -- now a professional footballer in his own right -- did the same. And he celebrated the full-circle moment by recreating his father's magazine cover.

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Weah also posed for photos with his father in the magazine as part of his unveiling as Marseille's latest signing on social media.

The 25-year-old U.S. international made 18 starts in Serie A for Juventus last season. It will be his third stint in France, having previously spent time with Paris Saint-Germain and Lille.

Source: espn.co.uk

The first day of preseason is possibly the most positive moment of the entire year for professional footballers.

You walk into the training ground, see your teammates again, catch up with the staff, and feel a fresh wave of optimism. Whatever happened last season is in the past, replaced with a sense of excitement and hope. You've come back in good shape, your kit is fresh, the training grounds have been renovated, the coaches are optimistic. It's the start of a new journey.

But preseason also marks a return of stress and hard work. What was once a time for rest and careful preparation for the season ahead is now something that needs to be prepared for in its own right. The timing and requirements are changing, and players are putting in so much work in the offseason.

In the past, most people perceived preseason to be a time for players to get fit for the campaign. Now, most footballers are getting ready to be fit for preseason in order to do things at a high level straight from the off: physically, tactically, technically. That's changed a lot since making my debut in 2004.

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These days, everything is measured, and it's not just about body weight: it's body composition, DEXA scans, and strict targets. When I was at Queens Park Rangers, there was a rule: From when the season ends to when you come back for preseason, you couldn't have put on more than 1.5% body fat. It didn't matter what your composition was. If you were 12% body fat and came back 13%? Play on. But if you were at 6% and came back 8%, then you would get punished.

Things have evolved and aren't as draconian, but punishments still occur. Sometimes it's fines and sometimes it's extra training, but realistically, sometimes you just don't want to be seen as the player in the squad who isn't committed. I've seen some players get taken away from the group and complete extra work until they reach the targets -- but sometimes it's not even about the numbers, but about perception.

Like then-Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, when he came back after playing for England, his body fat percentage was higher than it had been before he left. His manager, Pep Guardiola, said he'd gotten "overweight" but relatively speaking, his numbers were still in the top 1% of people of his age in his profession.

Managers, of course, have their own standards. At Chelsea under Antonio Conte, players were expected to be between 6% and 8% body fat, possibly drifting toward 6%. That's an enormous amount of work to be put in while you're "on holiday" so you're approaching that physical prime for Day 1 of preseason.

So far, I'm thinking about returning players who might be familiar with the routines or the coaching staff putting them through it; now imagine being a new signing walking into that environment. As you are coming in, you're keen to make a good impression, but it's almost like you don't want to do too much too soon. You can't just come in and say: "Right, I want this locker. I'm having this number. I'm going to do this. I'm going to do that."

It's all about trying to read the room and getting a feel for it. That's why club culture is so important. If it's right, people welcome you from the get-go. If you have that, then you're immediately accepted. Other times, people are just watching you and judging you on how you play in these first few days. It is quite ruthless.

Sometimes, players test the new guys too. They'll hit a pass a bit harder or go in stronger on a tackle: some of it is dark humor, just trying to make it as hard for the new signing as possible. But really what they're trying to do is seeing what your character is like. How do you handle adversity? How do you handle being put on the spot? It's a tough initiation, but once you get through that, you're very much part of the collective.

Dan Thomas is joined by Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and others to bring you the latest highlights and debate the biggest storylines. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only).

Thierry Henry was famous for doing it in that incredible Arsenal team, as revealed by Cesc Fabregas to the BBC: "Every time there was a new player coming in, we used to do five against two, it's called a 'rondo.' He always used to bring them into the 'rondos' because he wanted to see the level and he would give them a strong ball just to see if they could control it. I remember that just to see if they could handle the pressure."

Then there are the preseason tours. When I was younger, most clubs weren't traveling abroad and any trips I did take didn't look like these big, marquee events. Now, with the globalization of the Premier League over the past 10 to 15 years, players fully understand why they go to those locations and they do their best to try make the most of the experience. Realistically, do you want to travel 12, 13, 14 hours to play in 40-degrees Celsius heat on a pitch that's nothing like what you'll face during the season? Probably not. But it's part of the job.

Players get it. There's lots of downtime on these tours; they'll be training hard, and will play some of these friendlies in front of thousands of people, but really they're working on things that aren't necessarily seen in the open, like positional training. It's just business as usual in that regard; players are trying to get minutes under their belt and get to that point where the season starts, when they can go toe-to-toe with people in their league once again.

Man United boss Ruben Amorim says he doesn't "treat the players like kids" ahead of the new Premier League season.

This intensity and focus are where the lack of a proper break becomes a problem. Take FIFA Club World Cup finalists Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, for example. The standard minimum amount of time off between seasons is around three weeks. However, usually those three weeks will lead you to the start of preseason, or maybe a week into preseason if you've been on international duty. But the fact that this season finished when it did -- the Club World Cup final was played on July 13 -- means the three-week gap basically gives Chelsea and PSG players a week or maybe less before the season starts.

There's mental fatigue to consider too. These players will be up against non-international, non-Club World Cup players in the Premier League who finished their seasons two months ago.

There are immeasurable benefits to being able rest and start to recover mentally, physically, emotionally -- whatever it needs to be -- from a grueling season. But the ones who are churning out these games, playing the international sides, playing for clubs that progress deep in competitions, those players are almost playing a different sport.

So preseason is a time of hope. But it's also a return to the stress, tension and emotion attached with playing football. Now more than ever, the clubs whose cultures are the strongest and help players through that transition the best will reap the benefits later in the season.

Source: espn.co.uk

Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku has proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Shireen Erin Lyannda Raymond, just days before the start of the new football season.

The Belgian international of Ghanaian descent shared the special moment in a video on his social media.

The footage captured Shireens surprise as the couple walked towards a stunning display of flowers and candles prepared for the occasion.

Both dressed in elegant all-white attire, the pair embraced the intimate atmosphere.

In the clip, Doku can be heard telling Shireen: Youre my girlfriend, but I dont want you to stay my girlfriend. I want you to be my future wife.

A visibly emotional Shireen replied: Where did you get this from? Im actually shaking. Where did this come from?

Moments later, Doku went down on one knee, presented a ring, and formally proposed, addressing her by her full name.

Shireen accepted without hesitation, prompting Doku to place the ring on her finger before sealing the moment with a kiss.

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The 23-year-old forward will now head into the new campaign not only focused on his football but also preparing for a new chapter in his personal life.

With the 2025-26 Premier League campaign due to kick off on Aug. 15, many clubs are deep into their preseason preparations, having spent the past few weeks limbering up with training camps and a smattering of friendly fixtures.

Some of the top clubs have been in action all over the world, with exhibition games and miniseries taking place everywhere from the United States to Hong Kong and Singapore. Indeed, a key part of this summer's preseason itinerary has been the Premier League Summer Series, which saw Manchester United, Everton, Bournemouth and West Ham competing in New Jersey, Atlanta and Chicago.

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Manchester City and Chelsea are yet to begin their schedules after taking part in the FIFA Club World Cup (though both have friendlies penned in for later this week), but a fair number of Premier League clubs have warmed up with friendlies played home and abroad -- noncompetitive games that often see new signings, recognized senior players and youth team prospects rub shoulders while trying to catch the manager's eye.

The results don't count for much in isolation, but several players have impressed, including a couple of teenage academy prodigies who have created a wave of hype with individual performances that might just rocket them up the pecking order in time for the new season.

Fulham have slogged through friendlies against Aberdeen, Nottingham Forest, Al Ittihad and Sheffield United in recent weeks, with a final fixture against Eintracht Frankfurt next weekend.

While Emile Smith Rowe and Ral Jimnez have found themselves among the goals for the Cottagers, the standout performer has been Wilson. The Wales international midfielder scored five goals in four games (including consecutive braces against Aberdeen and Forest) while drumming up a bonus assist against Sheffield for good measure.

It's perhaps worth noting that Wilson has also been finding the net in spectacular fashion during preseason. A nifty lob and a curling 25-yard free kick against Forest out in Portugal represent the pick of the bunch so far.

Danny Welbeck scored four goals in Brighton's opening preseason friendly against Wycombe Wanderers, but it was O'Riley, a 24-year-old central midfielder, who put in the Player of the Match performance against Spanish side Las Palmas the following week.

The Denmark international featured sparingly for the Seagulls last season but found himself pulling the strings in Marbella as he set up Yasin Ayari for the opening goal and then scored himself with a clever 25-yard effort to seal the 2-0 victory. Brighton then made it four preseason wins in four when they returned to the U.K. They beat Coventry in a friendly at their training complex, with O'Riley once again laying on an assist for Ayari to open the scoring in a routine 2-0 victory over their Championship opponents.

It could be the start of a very productive partnership under head coach Fabian Hrzeler, or it could be the sporting equivalent of a summer holiday romance. We guess only time will tell.

Ruben Amorim's side endured a woeful campaign in the Premier League last time out, but the head coach has already praised his side for looking "stronger and faster," with several senior players like Mason Mount and Dorgu looking sharp out in the States.

A post shared by Manchester United (@manchesterunited)

Despite the torrential downpour that engulfed MetLife Stadium, Dorgu caught the eye during the Summer Series exhibition game against West Ham out in New Jersey. The nimble full back teed up Rasmus Hjlund to head home the opener, before adding the second goal himself after breaking free of the Hammers' defense and forcing a shot underneath the goalkeeper.

While established trio Jarrod Bowen, Niclas Fllkrug and Lucas Paquet have all looked to be in fine fettle for West Ham out in the States during the Summer Series, the surprise package has arguably been Diouf, who was signed from Slavia Prague in July.

Not to be confused with former Liverpool striker and fellow countryman El Hadji Diouf, the 20-year-old Senegal wing back played pivotal roles in several goals. His whipped crosses led to both goals in his side's 2-0 victory over Bournemouth.

Despite near-constant speculation linking him with a summer transfer, Watkins has been laser-focused for Villa, with the England striker scoring three goals in three games during the club's Stateside sojourn.

After sitting out defeats against Walsall and Hansa Rostock, Watkins returned to the fold for the trip to the U.S. and hit the ground running during Villa's opening game against Eintracht Frankfurt, scoring the opener in a 2-2 draw in Louisville. He then scored his second goal in two games in a 2-1 win over St. Louis before adding his third in three in another 2-2 draw, this time heading home against Nashville.

It's also worth mentioning Watkins' strike partner Morgan Rogers, who also found the net against Frankfurt and St. Louis, and Netherlands winger Donyell Malen, who registered three assists and a goal during Villa's U.S. mini tour.

Palace have had a busy preseason itinerary, squeezing in six games (including doubleheaders against German sides Mainz and Augsburg) in the past few weeks. They've also scored 10 goals in that duration, with striker Mateta grabbing the lion's share.

Indeed, last season's top scorer appears to be rolling over his form into 2025-26. The 28-year-old forward has scored four goals in four appearances for the Eagles over the summer, also scoring the opening goal for his side in three of those fixtures.

After mixed results during their post-season tour of Asia, Man United got back on track by going unbeaten through the Summer Series in the United States to lift the trophy in Atlanta.

With new signings being introduced and youngsters given valuable minutes, it was the reliable Fernandes who proved the catalyst. The Portugal playmaker scored twice in the opening win over West Ham before burying a penalty in United's third and final fixture against Everton.

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Tottenham will have to muddle through without club hero Son Heung-Min next season after the South Korea international announced his intentions to move on after 10 years of esteemed service. However, the team might have stumbled upon a new source of goals in the unlikely guise of Pape Sarr.

Despite not being renowned for his goal-scoring prowess, the 22-year-old midfielder chipped in three goals in three games for the club in July, including the winner against Arsenal out in Hong Kong in a match that saw Spurs register their first ever North London derby victory on foreign soil -- albeit in an exhibition tie.

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The Senegal international wrestled possession from Myles Lewis-Skelly, looked up, saw David Raya off his line and proceeded to wallop a magnificent long-range effort on the stroke of halftime. Spurs then held on to lift their second piece of silverware in as many months, adding the Herbalgy Trophy to their collection.

While it was Bukayo Saka who proved the difference in Arsenal's opening preseason friendly against AC Milan in Singapore, it was a fellow Hale End academy product who stole the show against Newcastle just a few days later. Already touted as a potential first-team star by those in the know, 15-year-old Dowman has risen quickly through the youth ranks at Arsenal while skipping age groups. He even became the youngest goal scorer in UEFA Youth League history when he found the net aged 14 while playing for the Gunners' under-19s last season.

In preseason action, the teenager initially caught the eye with a brief cameo against the Rossoneri before firmly putting himself in the spotlight with impressive performances against Newcastle and Tottenham.

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Playing with the kind of poise and composure that belie his youth, the attacking midfielder entered the fray on the hour mark and immediately impressed by holding his own against seasoned senior opposition, then did the same in the closing stretch of the Gunners' defeat against rivals Spurs.

Noncompetitive first-team debuts are one thing, but it certainly feels like bigger things are just around the corner for Dowman.

While Darwin Nez and new signing Florian Wirtz have been pitching in with multiple goal contributions during Liverpool's preseason frolics, many of the headlines have been grabbed by a 16-year-old who joined from Chelsea last summer.

After starting in the 3-1 win over Preston at Deepdale, Ngumoha maintained his place for the friendly against Stoke at Liverpool's training facility, and the energetic winger promptly scored his first goal for the senior team in a 5-0 victory.

He was then deployed against Milan in Hong Kong and proved a constant energetic threat down the left flank before capping off his fine run of form with a brilliant solo goal in the Reds' 4-2 comeback victory against Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan to conclude the Premier League champions' tour of Asia in fine fashion.

Back on home soil, Nguhoma maintained his preseason momentum in the first of Liverpool's back-to-back friendlies against Athletic Club on Monday, once again seizing the headlines by scoring the opener with a wonderful solo strike to light up Anfield before creating the second for Nunez.

Nguhoma is already the youngest player to ever start a first-team game in Liverpool's long history after being fielded against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup third round last season (16 years, 135 days). With Luis Daz out the door and Cody Gakpo in need of a young deputy on the left wing, Nguhoma seems to be primed for a little more game time in 2025-26.

Source: espn.co.uk

Congratulations to Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay, who has earned himself a place on the short list for the 2025 Ballon d'Or.

It has been quite a transformation for the Scotland international, who was deemed surplus to requirements at Manchester United and allowed to move to Napoli for 30 million last summer. Once there, he propelled them to the 2024-25 Serie A title with 12 goals and four assists from 34 games during his debut season, becoming a bona-fide cult hero in the process.

While McTominay -- or "McTerminator," as he's become affectionately known at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium -- is obviously deserving of his Ballon d'Or nomination, he's not the first name on fans' lips when you think of the award. So we thought it might be timely to look back over the past decade and pick out a few other players you may have forgotten were ever in contention for European football's most prestigious individual honor.

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Indeed, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi dominating the winner's circle for many years, there has been a smattering of curious inclusions in the final voting stage of an illustrious award that has also been claimed by icons such as Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten, Ronaldo Nazario, Zinedine Zidane and Franz Beckenbauer.

Fresh off captaining Brazil in their 7-1 humiliation against Germany at the 2014 World Cup on home soil and exiting the semifinals in floods of tears, David Luiz was a somewhat surprising inclusion on the Ballon d'Or short list. The defender moved from Chelsea to Paris Saint-Germain that summer and finished way down the order in the final vote as Ronaldo took the main prize, but Luiz did manage to earn a place in that year's FIFPro World XI (i.e. the Team of the Year) alongside teammate for club and country Thiago Silva.

Thanks to a sparkling year with West Ham United, when Dimitri Payet scored 17 goals and recorded 23 assists in 56 appearances, Payet played his way to a Ballon d'Or nomination. The mercurial France midfielder did pick up a point in the vote (putting him level with Toni Kroos and Luka Modric), to finish joint-17th, but he was still some 744 points adrift of eventual winner Ronaldo.

Jamie Vardy played an important role in Leicester City's 5000-1 shot Premier League title win in 2015-16 and his inclusion on the Ballon d'Or short list was perfectly justified. The former non-league striker scored 24 goals in 36 league games and made the list alongside teammate Riyad Mahrez. Vardy even finished above Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and Robert Lewandowski in the vote, but was ultimately crowded out of a podium finish by Ronaldo, Messi and Antoine Griezmann.

Joo Flix was unfortunate in that his Ballon d'Or nomination straddled what was an exciting breakthrough season at Benfica and what transpired to be a fairly underwhelming start to life at Atltico Madrid following his enormous 126 million transfer. The young Portugal forward, who has had a bit of a journeyman career ever since and is now playing at Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, finished joint-last in the final standings after failing to attract a single voting point.

Dan Thomas is joined by Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and others to bring you the latest highlights and debate the biggest storylines. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only).

It's fair to say that many an eyebrow was raised among Southampton fans when Dusan Tadic, their former winger, received a Ballon d'Or nod in 2019. Having been a somewhat flighty presence for the Saints during their tussle to remain in the Premier League, the Serbia international left for Ajax in an 11.4 million deal and would go on to win the Dutch Eredivisie title while also reaching the Champions League final in his debut season. It was enough to earn a spot on the short list, though he ultimately finished 20th in the overall vote, level with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Csar Azpilicueta was one of five Chelsea players (alongside Jorginho, N'Golo Kant, Romelu Lukaku and Mason Mount) nominated for the 2021 Ballon d'Or after triumphing in the previous season's Champions League. Unfortunately, the Blues' captain and erstwhile "Mr. Dependable" was unable to attract a single voting point as Messi went onto hoover up a record 613 points and romp to what was the seventh of his eight career Ballons d'Or (to date), having won the Copa America with Argentina.

Liverpool had a glut of players nominated for the Ballon d'Or in 2022, after winning both domestic cups and almost usurping Manchester City in the Premier League title race. While Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk are no strangers to the short list, it's more jarring to remember that Nez was one of six Reds to receive a nod. The chaotic Uruguay striker had signed from Benfica for an initial 75 million a few weeks before the 2022 Ballon d'Or contenders were announced, so technically it was his 34-goal campaign with the Portuguese side being recognized. But it's still odd to think that he was vying for the same award once hoisted aloft by Alfredo Di Stefano and Eusebio.

Andr Onana, then Manchester United's new goalkeeper, managed to play his way to a Ballon d'Or nomination during his maiden season in the Premier League, despite succumbing to a string of calamitous mistakes and handling errors. The Cameroon international was mainly recognized for his efforts for former club Internazionale during the 2022-23 season, where he helped them reach the Champions League final and win the Coppa Italia before moving to Old Trafford for 55 million.

Onana came 23rd in the end, but did manage to muster two points in the final vote, which was two more than fellow stopper Mike Maignan collected after the AC Milan man found himself included on the short list in 2022.

Having not made a single Ballon d'Or short list since 2017, Mats Hummels came roaring back into contention in 2024 after captaining Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League final. The 35-year-old Germany center back had left to join AS Roma in the interim and eventually wound up in joint-29th in the vote, level with Artem Dovbyk -- who had coincidentally also signed for Roma following a goal-laden season with Girona.

Ademola Lookman was the only African nominee included in the 2024 short list after bagging 24 goals and 16 assists in 52 league games in his first two seasons with Atalanta. A hat trick in the Europa League final win over Bayer Leverkusen obviously helped enormously, but wasn't enough to propel the ex-Everton winger beyond a 14th-placed finish in the vote, sandwiched between Dani Olmo and Nico Williams and way behind eventual winner Rodri.

Source: espn.co.uk

So far this summer, Premier League teams have spent transfer fees of at least 35 million on 21 different players. And of those, 12 are joining from clubs outside of the Premier League.

The two most expensive signings of the summer -- Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, both to Liverpool -- are coming from the Bundesliga. Arsenal's two biggest signings, Martn Zubimendi and Viktor Gykeres, were players from the top-flight leagues in Spain and Portugal, respectively. And two of Manchester City's three major moves, Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki, brought in new contributors from Italy's Serie A and France's Ligue 1.

If you've been following the Premier League for long enough, perhaps you read all of that and just started doing the thing reflexively: mocking an enraged local fan calling into TalkSPORT radio or impersonating the least-prepared talking head on Sky Sports. But, you can't help yourself from thinking, can he do it in the Premier League?

Back in 2010, pundit Andy Gray infamously suggested that Lionel Messi "would struggle on a cold night at the Britannia Stadium," home of Stoke City.

This was 18 months after Messi scored a header in a 2-0 win over Manchester United in the Champions League final. And it was during a season that would conclude with Messi scoring the go-ahead goal in a 3-1 Champions League final win against Manchester United -- a match that would lead Sir Alex Ferguson to call Messi's Barcelona "the best team I've faced." Oh, and Stoke City? They lost 2-1 to Man United at home and finished the season with a minus-2 goal differential.

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So, the idea of English soccer's inherent superiority extends back to a time when its first division was clearly not superior -- and that timeframe extends way, way, way before Gray's comments, too. But sometimes reality and delusion can cross paths.

Given the economic might of the Premier League 15 years later, it seems reasonable to assume that the by-far-richest soccer league in the world might also be the hardest league to play in. But if that is true, then can we move beyond the stereotypes about cold weather, long throw-ins and cheering about tackles and corner kicks? And can we pinpoint why, exactly, it might be so much harder to play in England than the world's other top-flight leagues?

Seemingly every year, we look at the results in the Champions League and have a debate about what is the best league in the world. This year, though, that debate died. Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League, and no one outside of maybe France president Emmanuel Macron would be willing to argue with a straight face that Ligue 1 is the best soccer league in the world.

In reality, the debate should have died years ago. The best teams in the Premier League might not always be better than the best teams in France or Spain, but thanks to a massive financial advantage, it's all-but-impossible for any other league to be as good from top to bottom.

Based on the estimated wage data from FBref for this past season, all 20 Premier League clubs ranked in the top 50 for the highest wage bills across Europe's Big Five leagues. If wages were distributed evenly across leagues, then each league would only have about 10 teams in the top 50. And it's the same story with the crowd-sourced transfer valuations from Transfermarkt. Among the 25 most valuable rosters in the world, 12 come from the Premier League. Evenly distribute those, and everyone should have five in the top 25.

For the Premier League to not be the most competitive league within that environment, there would have to be a massive scouting and tactical discrepancy, with English clubs blindly guessing while everyone else knew what they were doing, but only in a way that no one in England ever picked up on. And you would need a global workforce of players and coaches to not really care about getting paid as much as they can. With England's now-diverse ownership groups, coaching staffs and playing populations, none of that is true.

This is clear in any attempt anyone makes at quantifying the strength of a given league. Analyst Tyson Ni recently released a publicly available set of team ratings that uses betting-market odds to estimate team strength. The ratings are represented as the expected goal differential for a given team were they to play the worst team in the dataset. And per Ni's ratings, the averages for the Big Five leagues are as follows:

Premier League: 2.51 LaLiga: 2.24 Serie A: 2.06 Ligue 1: 2.01 Bundesliga: 1.96

Put another way, the average Premier League team would be expected to beat the average LaLiga team by 0.27 goals, the average Serie A team by 0.45 goals, the average Ligue 1 team by 0.50 goals and the average Bundesliga team by 0.55 goals.

The Club Elo ratings, meanwhile, mirror closely the wage and transfer-value data. The Elo system awards or subtracts points after every game a team plays, based on the final score, location and quality of the opponent. It's purely results-based; there are no estimates. And currently, all 20 Premier League clubs rank in the European top 50, which includes teams beyond just the Big Five leagues. No other league even has 10 clubs in the top 50.

The simple answer is that the players are better, and so the teams are better.

While in LaLiga you would have a bunch of tough games against the two traditional powers and the likes of Atletico Madrid, Villarreal and Athletic Club, the Premier League presents you with 38 games against top-50 teams in the world. The goalkeepers are better at saving shots, the defenders are better at defending, the midfielders are better at breaking up attacks and keeping the ball, and the attackers are harder to stop.

Using one of the catchall player valuation models -- VAEP (Valuing Actions by Estimating Probabilities), which essentially judges everything a player does on the ball based on how much it increases his team's chances of scoring or decreases his team's chances of conceding -- analyst Tony ElHabr looked at how player performance changed when players changed leagues. Simply: Did their VAEP go up or go down?

He studied the seasons from 2012 through 2020. And he found that when players moved to the Premier League from any of the Big Five leagues, their output decreased. LaLiga players suffered a 5% decrease, while Ligue 1 players dropped off by 10% and guys coming over from Serie A fell off by 12%. The biggest drop-off across the Big Five, though, came when players transferred in from the Bundesliga: a 17% drop-off, larger than players from Portugal and Brazil, and roughly equivalent to what happened when players made the step up from the Championship.

But how does this show up on the field? For last season, at least, the Premier League stood out in a couple ways. Compared to the other Big Five leagues, Premier League teams were more urgent in possession (measured by passes per shot) and they crossed the ball way less often (measured by the percentage of final-third passes that were crosses):

Except, Premier League teams also took the fewest percentage of shots from outside the box and they played the second-shortest passes on average. This wasn't a league where the teams were bombing the ball up the field and shooting from distance. No, it's a league where the average team are able to push possession forward with more intricate passing and then quickly move the ball into the box for shots without having to rely on crosses.

That demands a high level of technical skill from in-possession players, but it also demands a lot from out-of-possession players, too.

Despite those more efficient possession numbers, Premier League teams didn't score more goals or create better chances than everyone else. To defend in the Premier League, then, you have to fend off the stress created by the shorter, more-aggressive passing approach in buildup play and then you have to deal with teams who aren't crossing or shooting from distance but rather working the ball into the penalty area, where defensive errors get turned into near-automatic goals.

Smarter decision-making and shorter passing would not have been two phrases anyone would've connected with the Premier League back in 2010-11. The league has changed drastically as some of the best coaches from outside the country have helped transform the tactics.

At the same time, the Premier League hasn't lost the one thing it has always had: running.

Per data from Gradient Sports, Premier League sides reach high-end speeds more often than any of the other leagues. Looking at all outfield players who featured in at least 600 minutes this past season, the average Premier League player reached a maximum speed of 32.5 kilometers per hour -- nearly a quarter of a kilometer per hour faster than any other league.

Gradient then defines a sprint as any time a player reaches 25 km/h or more. The Premier League leads in the number of sprints, the distance sprinted, the time spent sprinting and the percentage of movement that was spent sprinting:

Those differences might not seem like much, but when multiplied by 10 players, across 20 teams, each playing 38 games per season? The Premier League is sprinting circles around the rest of Europe.

So, what does all that extra money get the Premier League? And why does it make it so hard for anyone coming from another league to succeed?

On the attacking end, you have to be able to keep possession, pass through the opposition and create chances inside the most crowded area of the field without relying on a low-probability shot from outside the box or an inefficient cross from the sideline. Without the ball, you have to try to break up these possession sequences where you don't get bailed out by bad decisions and constantly need to make plays inside of your penalty area.

And then, even if you can handle that, it's still not enough. For all the technical skill, patience and efficiency the league requires, you still have to be able to run -- faster and more often -- than everybody else.

Source: espn.co.uk

In early July, Arsenal left back Myles Lewis-Skelly renewed his contract with the club, rewarding him for an incredible 2024-25 season in which he made the step up from academy to first team in style and played over 2,000 minutes.

The 18-year-old impressed since making his first Premier League start against Everton in December, putting in a man-of-the-match performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinals and even becoming the youngest player to score on his senior debut for England in March.

So, amid reported transfer interest from Real Madrid, you would think that when it came to negotiating his new contract Lewis-Skelly and his representatives would have all the evidence they needed to cement their case for the best possible deal after such a breakthrough campaign.

But the teenager followed in the footsteps of some other major stars -- namely Kevin De Bruyne, Ben White, Hctor Bellern, Mason Mount, Alex Greenwood and Lotte Wubben-Moy -- to employ the services of Analytics FC.

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The company arms the player and their agent with data and analysis of the player's performance to give them a fresh edge in negotiating a contract. For years, clubs have used analytics to gather insights when signing players; Analytics FC are essentially flipping the script, enabling players and agents to make their case to the clubs, in the form of deep research and a presentation to help them secure better contracts for a fixed fee.

So what happens in those meetings? What do Analytics FC provide that's so valuable outside the available data that everyone has access to? And how do their findings help during contract negotiations?

*Editor's note: Some players cannot be named for confidentiality reasons.

"It starts with a conversation," Analytics FC CEO Alex Stewart tells ESPN. "We're always approached in the first instance either by an agent or a lawyer. They will come to us and say, typically, 'our player is approaching a negotiation point.'"

That "negotiation point" generally represents one of three junctures: A player either wants a new deal at their club, is assessing their future options or wants to leave and needs help finding the best possible move. A detailed chat with the agent and player follows, establishing what's required, and then a report full of research, analytics and contextualized data is created.

"We present a PDF document and it's anything between 40 and 80 pages; they're big, chunky pieces of work," Stewart says. "We take the agent through it, and sometimes the player, so they're fully briefed on what's being said. We make sure they understand it; they can ask questions about it."

A 40-page document typically takes between 60 and 90 minutes to comb through. Some players are more engaged than others, with Arsenal men's right back White and women's team defender Wubben-Moy particularly involved.

"Wubben-Moy was very engaged with the process," Stewart says. "She asked loads of really smart questions about how the data was being used, where it was coming from and pointing out things that she felt were perhaps worth bringing out a little bit more. White asked questions and raised tactical points."

After the initial briefing, the report is handed over to the player and agent. "It's their work now," Stewart says. "They commissioned it; they can do whatever they like with it -- use it, redact certain bits, or ignore it completely."

Analytics FC draws upon a series of third-party data providers to build customized data models. It is, by nature, incredibly complicated stuff but, in layman's terms, here's some of what they do:

- Use a custom-built, proprietary metric called Goal Difference Added (GDA), which measures the impact every single action a player makes (positive or negative) with regard to their team's chances of scoring a goal.

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- Create their own event-based statistics that are not publicly available, such as diagonal passes or passes made in transition.

- Use Monte Carlo simulations (an algorithmic method that uses random sampling to assess the probability of outcomes) to model what would happen if, for example, Player X joined Team Y, or if Player Z got injured for six months. These simulations work similarly to how the Opta supercomputer projects outcomes for a team's title and relegation chances, computing thousands of possible outcomes and showing you the most likely one.

- Provide accurate salary benchmarking, allowing players to know what their peers are earning so they can cross-compare. A combination of previous reports and research combine to provide this information.

Most reports will include all the above as standard, plus several more bespoke elements that players and agents ask for or that Analytics FC uncover during their research period. This is where things get really interesting. Here are some examples.

Kevin De Bruyne's four-year contract extension with Man City in 2021

"The first report we did was with Kevin De Bruyne," Stewart explains. "At that point in time he was certainly the best central midfielder in world football, and arguably the best all-round player in world football. But what is the point of going to Manchester City and saying that? 'Thanks so much, wow, money well spent! Instead, we needed to tie his performance elements, his outputs, to some sort of financial measure."

The fact that De Bruyne topped Analytics FC's GDA metric in 2021 was a help in negotiations and referenced in the report. The metric incorporates an array of different actions to determine how much of an influence a player is on their team's scoring chances.

"So there is a value that you can understand," Stewart says. "There's a very small number of players in the world who can do the stuff that he does. And if you're losing him, it's going to cost you a lot to replace him. And then there's the known quantity vs. unknown quantity argument, plus some of those players won't want to come."

De Bruyne and his representatives secured around a 30% pay rise for his new contract and set a mutual goal of winning the UEFA Champions League. Two years later, City achieved it.

Ben White's long-term contract extension with Arsenal in 2024

White's presentation was 52 pages long. Durability was featured, as he missed just one Premier League game across the entirety of 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, and his salary was benchmarked [photo right: two examples of slides from his presentation] against other elite defenders across Europe.

"We also looked at positional versatility and the value [to the team] added by that, then made projections around longevity of player performance within certain positions," Stewart explains. "If you look at Ben as a fullback, you can then compare him using an age curve and say, if he switches positions at age 30 [to center back], then the skills that are valuable to him in aspects of his fullback play stay, but the potential drop-off around other aspects is less pronounced. It makes him more of a long-term investment."

Monte Carlo simulations were run to show what White would add to each of Bayern Munich, Barcelona, AC Milan, Marseille and Manchester City's starting XIs -- and how he would positively impact those teams' chances of winning the league title or the Champions League. Those teams were chosen in part for stylistic match, and in part to cover the breadth of Europe's top-five leagues.

"We were one of the first agencies that started delving into that. We really embraced it," Alex Levack, who is White's agent, tells ESPN. "It helps you establish why we're asking for that figure [his client's wages]. You can quantify why you're asking for that figure with data. If you go into a negotiation and one side is incredibly prepared, they have a retort to everything you're saying. But if you're armed too, you can say, 'well no, have you seen this? That doesn't back up what you've said?'"

And did it help?

"Yes," he added. "It gives you more confidence. You've got those extra tools to draw upon."

After combing through the 52-page document Analytics FC handed over for White, Levack produced a toned-down, abbreviated version to present to Arsenal's hierarchy during negotiations. Exact details of White's contract remain confidential, but Levack confirmed they were happy with the deal and confident it rewarded White's worth in the context of the market.

Alex Greenwood's three-year contract extension Man City in 2022

"When we worked with Greenwood, we were conscious that although she was, and still is, one of the best passing defenders in world football, there might be questions [from the club] around defensive application," Stewart explains. "We wanted to head off that potential line of argument.

"What we did was we created an analysis that showed that Manchester City men's defenders were predominantly asked to pass, rather than defend. Then we showed that Manchester City's women [in that position] had exactly the same profile.

"So what City ask of their men's and women's defenders are the same, and they're very happy to pay the men huge amounts of money for what they do. It's a comparison point to deny a potential line of argument [against Greenwood's abilities]."

The report highlighted Greenwood's strengths in buildup play, how strong her progressive passing and line-breaking passing is, and how well she carries the ball up the field. It helped earn a three-year extension at a club she already felt settled at.

Financial details of the contract are confidential, but the negotiation -- and its use of data -- was deemed so successful that it went on to become a case study at Harvard Business School.

Player A's permanent transfer to Serie A

"We worked with an attacking player [the player cannot be named for confidentiality reasons] who recently moved to Serie A and went on to win silverware," Stewart says. "There were concerns -- and this came from his agent first -- that a 'lack of creativity' might be used as a point of criticism to bring down his potential wages during negotiations. So we said 'OK, you would ordinarily measure creativity in key passes, assists and so on, but this guy wins penalties, and he wins fouls in dangerous positions all the time. So let's reframe our concept of creativity.

"If you win a penalty, that's an expected assist of around 0.75. So when you look at the player in that way, then actually they're extremely creative. They're racking up chances all the time."

In 2020-21, the player won 0.26 penalties per 90, which was the second-most in Europe's top five leagues. Those penalties were worth 0.12 GDA (see above), also the second-best mark. He won five penalties in his first season with his new club.

"So that's an example of when the agent has come to us and said 'we think this might be a concern.' We're trying to head off these arguments by anticipating ways in which the player might have their value misconstrued because of the absence of a particular kind of performance."

Example: Hctor Bellern loan to Real Betis from Arsenal

"When we worked with Bellern [in 2021], one of the key elements there was that he wanted to get back into the Spain national team, as a World Cup cycle was beginning," Stewart says. "So we needed to gear some of our research towards which clubs would make that more likely, which scenarios would make that more likely."

The attacking right back was 26 but had reached the end of a cycle with Arsenal, at a time where Unai Emery had replaced Arsne Wenger as manager and the club were refreshing several elements of the squad. He and his representatives asked Analytics FC to produce a list of clubs whose playing style matched his, and would therefore help accentuate his strengths in front of the watching eye of then-national team manager Luis Enrique.

Real Betis was chosen, where Bellern played over 2,000 minutes in the 2021-22 season, but his performances weren't enough to force his way into the Spain squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Example: Player B

"We did a report for a high-profile women's player [a Champions League and multiple domestic title winner] who was exploring her options at the end of her contract," Stewart says. "We compared and contrasted several teams, looking at what the head coaches of those teams required from the players in her role.

"We also assessed the squad depth of destination clubs, likely financial implications of each move, and projected use at each club."

As in the Bellern example, matching a player's style to that of a team is fundamental to any transfer working out. It may seem an elementary point, but soccer is littered with bad moves because this wasn't considered strongly enough. And in Player B's case it worked out fine.

Steve Nicol reacts to Chelsea's agreement to sign 19-year-old defender Jorrel Hato from Ajax.

Example: Mason Mount's contract discussions at Chelsea in 2021

"We worked with Mount and studied the concept of loyalty," Stewart says. "Effectively looking at how players who have come through an academy at a club, and then stayed, were basically penalized for their loyalty by receiving lower contract offers than players that had been bought in from elsewhere."

Analytics FC's report confirmed that suspicion, so the agent utilized that knowledge heading into his client's negotiations. "He said 'send me a second copy, with the numbers redacted,'" Stewart recalls, "so he could present them to the club and say 'I know what these numbers are but I'm not going to show you' to try and get them to present a better deal."

In this instance, demonstrating that you have the knowledge was more important than what the actual numbers were.

Myles Lewis-Skelly's long-term contract extension for Arsenal in 2025

The specific details of Lewis-Skelly's Analytics FC report are confidential, but during the conversation for this piece it became clear that the "loyalty penalty" research originally conducted for Mount's report was updated for the Arsenal defender's salary benchmarking.

Analytics FC also used a "grouping" method to compare him to other breakout stars, highlighting how what he had achieved in his first senior season truly was a rare feat.

"One of the groups that we compared Myles with was the very, very small number of players who had made their first team debut in Europe's top-five leagues and then gone on to play over 600 minutes in that season," Stewart says. "Going back to the 2017-18 season, that's just 69 players; it's a tiny, tiny number. So that group immediately gives us a set of players that we can contextualize him within.

"So you can say 'it's phenomenal that Lewis-Skelly has come into the Arsenal team and stuck there,' yes. Or you can say, since 2017-18, only 69 players have done what he's done. Of all the thousands of players that have played in Europe's top-five leagues across that eight-year period, only 69 of them have done what he's done.

"You're saying the same thing, but one of them is a value judgment and one of them is a data-grounded observation -- and that's very powerful."

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While Arsenal declined to give an official comment themselves when asked by ESPN, the club were one of the first to bring data in-house and Levack says: "Arsenal were very receptive to the approach, which was no surprise. When Ben signed for them, they produced a whole dossier on him, explaining why they chose him over every other right back. Their hierarchy is very data savvy, so they were welcoming of it.

"Were there quibbles with the data presented? A few, yes. When it got to the business end, when we got really close to sealing the deal, some of the points raised [on either side] were picked at a bit."

ESPN spoke to various agents and club representatives from around Europe for this piece, and every single one agreed that data and analytics forms a central part of transfer and contract negotiations in 2025. Those individuals were also unanimous in their agreement of Analytics FC's assertion that they were "levelling the playing field" by giving all parties access to the same data and resources.

White's agent Levack described it as "like going into a duel where both parties have the same-sized swords" and stressed that the report he received for the Arsenal defender gave him extreme confidence in the figures they were asking for.

Vtor Gonalves, CFO of Portuguese agency Pro Eleven, which works with Andr Horta, Joo Moutinho and Diogo Dalot, among others, provided ESPN with a series of examples [see photo right] of how they incorporate data into their pitches and negotiations, allowing access to the analysis they construct on the soccer players they look after.

"For a long time, clubs had a clear data advantage: They had in-house analytics teams, exclusive tools and access to match data that agents simply couldn't match," Gonalves said. "But the gap is closing. Specialist services like Analytics FC -- and also platforms like SkillCorner, SciSports, Comparisonator, Scoutastic and more -- are contributing to a shift."

Liam Bowes, Managing Director of OYS Sports Management, told ESPN about a first-hand experience of a club presenting "thorough, in-depth, detailed" analysis of his client, Ricky-Jade Jones, during a recruitment meeting with Bundesliga club St. Pauli this year. The player's sprint speed and acceleration data were key to the pitch.

"They wanted a high-pressing forward, who could shut space down effectively," Bowes said. "They wanted a lot of pace, a lot of energy, so he ticked a lot of boxes."

Jones was clocked as the fastest player in world soccer by Gradient Sports (formerly PFF) in 2024, making him an obvious fit.

Bowes was understandably delighted that the data presented worked in Jones' favor - but, hypothetically, what if it had told a different story? "That's where, as an agent, you would then have to try and deflect -- to move the conversation back to other aspects," he says. "If you don't have data to back yourself up, maybe you have to get more creative, or make your point another way."

Dan Thomas is joined by Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and others to bring you the latest highlights and debate the biggest storylines. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only).

Chris Atkins, the agent who secured Zambia striker Racheal Kundananji's women's world-record transfer at the time ($785,000) to NWSL side Bay FC from Madrid CFF in 2024, said: "I've not used Analytics FC myself, but we are one of the few women's agencies to have invested in Statsbomb access -- albeit the majority of our use for it is for recruitment purposes. When marketing a player to clubs it can be a useful tool to show them how they compare to either the occupant of the position or a similar player that maybe we're aware the club have an interest in."

Barnsley sporting director Mladen Sormaz gave a club's perspective on this changing landscape.

"Agencies are getting really good at using analytics internally, to make sure that they're targeting you with a player who is relevant [pushing recruitment], or backing up claims they make about how good the player is," he told ESPN. "There's a few agencies we deal with regarding our players who even do three-month reviews based on their playing data to help manage their careers. Effective agencies are starting to mirror things that a club has -- nutrition, sports science, medical, legal help -- so data analysis was always going to become part of that. They have to keep up."

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"I think some of it depends on attitude," Analytics FC's Stewart says. "There's no doubt that football in general is shifting towards this kind of thing. There are now people who are young, smart, understand data, get the value and want to be a sporting director. That's a landscape that you wouldn't have found 10 years ago, so it is becoming much more widespread -- but this is still quite a niche aspect of it."

Two club sources, who work for top-level European clubs, sounded similar caution on the uptake.

"There are still many clubs out there who still don't utilize analytics in full -- even some of the ones who would stand to gain the most from it -- so it's tough to see some of them embracing specialist services anytime soon," said one. Another source, who works in Serie A, said that this practice is still rare in Italy.

But the major elephant in the room is the sheer cost of it. Analytics FC would not confirm exactly how expensive their service is, though Stewart left the impression that it is simply out of some agencies' and players' price range, while Levack simply said: "It cost a lot."

Gonalves accepted that this service isn't "accessible to everyone," but stressed the idea that he saw them as "investments, rather than expenses." He suggested a time frame of three to five years for this practice to become normalized.

"Cost is a big factor," Bowes said. "But if it's going to add zeroes to the deal, you have to look at it; it could make all the difference. As an agent, it's my job to consider everything."

Sormaz believes it will catch on simply because success stories are the best kind of validation. "Kevin De Bruyne using Analytics FC perked a few ears, and now it feels like there's one or two of these cases a month - where a high-profile player is using independent analytics to their benefit. As more and more players start to see their teammates getting results from it in their negotiations, it could take hold and explode."

Word travels fast, and as more and more illustrious names join De Bruyne, White and Greenwood and company in seeking this kind of assistance in negotiations, there's a chance this kind of preparation for contract negotiations becomes a more consistent feature at elite level in the future.

Source: espn.co.uk

In April 1991, John Sheridan scored the winner for Sheffield Wednesday against Manchester United in the League Cup final, and that 1-0 victory was an even bigger shock than you might think: to this day it's the last time a club playing outside the top division of English football won a major trophy.

Wednesday, who finished third in the second tier to gain promotion, beat a United side who finished sixth in the old First Division. And while the club have enjoyed some remarkable stories in recent years -- including pulling off the greatest comeback in EFL playoff history, and avoiding relegation from a seemingly impossible position two seasons ago -- it's that day at Wembley that remains etched in history.

Today, with the club in desperate financial trouble, such heights seem further away than ever. Such is the dire situation at the Championship club that there's no certainty they will take to the field for their season opener against Leicester City on Sunday. And if they do, a supporters' protest is planned against controversial owner Dejphon Chansiri.

So, why are Wednesday in trouble, how bad is it, and why does it matter?

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With Wednesday formed in 1867, only four league clubs -- Notts County, Stoke City, Wrexham and Nottingham Forest -- have been around for longer.

Wednesday, nicknamed the Owls, have been out of the Premier League for 25 years, so it would be no surprise if their name doesn't resonate globally -- other than for the odd quirk of being named after the day the founding cricket club used to play its games. Yet they were one of the biggest clubs in the early 1900s, and only 12 teams have won more than their 10 major trophies in the history of English football. It's just that the 1991 League Cup is the only silverware they've won since 1935.

Even though the club have been outside of the top flight for all but a few months of this century, they still rank 15th for total points earned and played in the opening eight seasons of the Premier League.

While many other clubs have come close to going out of business, or actually gone bust, Wednesday are by far the biggest to get to this stage. They were near to administration in 2010 too, but were sold to Milan Mandaric for just 1. That kind of deal isn't remotely on the table this time.

Chansiri is the Thai businessman who is the owner of Sheffield Wednesday, yet next to nothing is known about how he funds the club or his background. He is part of the family that owns Thai Union Group, the world's largest producer of canned tuna and seafood, yet he has no role on the board of the company.

TUG branding was present for a brief period when Chansiri bought the club from Mandaric in 2015, but it quickly disappeared.

Wednesday enjoyed two years of success at the start of Chansiri's 10-year reign, coming close to a Premier League return when they lost in the 2016 playoff final to Hull City. But those years also saw huge overspending, and a failure to transfer players on for a profit, which would eventually come back to bite Chansiri hard. There has been no such big spending in recent seasons.

Chansiri's autocratic style of ownership means he takes every decision -- there is no director of football, no chief executive, no one in the U.K. who takes ultimate responsibility for the day-to-day running of the club. This has added to the perception of a rudderless ship.

How long have you got? There's a book to be written, and a long one at that, about what has gone on behind the scenes.

The first sign of real issues came in July 2020 when the club were deducted 12 points for breaching profit and sustainability rules (PSR). The written reasons showed that Chansiri had failed to sign a vital document on time to sanction the sale of Hillsborough, the club's ground, to another company in his name, and that caused the PSR breach. The penalty was reduced to six points on appeal, but Wednesday were relegated to League One on goal difference.

Since then there have been a few times when the club have been late making key payments, but this year it has come to a head and the club's very existence is now under threat. And this isn't even the complete list:

- Chansiri has failed to pay players and staff (including those who work in departments like the club shop and the ticket office) on time and in full in March, May, June and July.

- In June, the EFL placed a triple transfer embargo on the club for a failure to pay the players. After this, further embargoes followed after Chansiri was late paying the tax bill, and there remain outstanding transfer fees to other clubs.

- The multiple late wages meant that under FIFA rules key players were able to serve notice to rip up their contracts and leave on a free transfer. Josh Windass, who scored 13 goals in the Championship last season (only four players scored more), walked away to join Wrexham, while Michael Smith, scorer of eight goals, quit for Preston North End.

- Wednesday had to transfer other star players to pay the outstanding bills. This included 21-year-old winger Djeidi Gassama to Rangers for a reported 2.2 million -- way below his true transfer value. Gassama scored in his first two appearances for Rangers -- both legs of the Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos. (Edit: he scored another two in the UCL against Viktoria Plzen on Tuesday night)

- Highly rated coach Danny Rhl, who was in dispute with Chansiri throughout 2025, left by "mutual consent" on July 29. The German wanted to move to a new club, but Chansiri reportedly wouldn't negotiate on the compensation clause in his contract. Most of Rhl's staff left at the same time -- other than assistant Henrik Pedersen, who was named the new coach.

- The club's North Stand, which holds 9,000 supporters (many of them season-ticket holders who have paid for a seat for every league game) and carries Chansiri's name, has been closed by the local council. Chansiri had failed to carry out crucial safety work on the roof of the stand, meaning it has been deemed unsafe and cannot be used.

- Wednesday have 16 senior players remaining (only one goalkeeper, with a defender long-term injured). Of the 16, some have reportedly followed the lead of Smith and Windass and served notice to leave after failing to be paid for July.

- Wednesday have no senior coaching staff and have played no preseason friendlies ahead of Sunday's Championship opener at Leicester.

When Chansiri took charge, there was nothing to suggest the club would be where it is 10 years on; the EFL doesn't have a crystal ball to predict the future when it approves a takeover. But at the same time, Wednesday fans feel like they have now been abandoned by the league as the situation grows ever more serious.

The EFL has made only one statement, on June 18, when it issued charges against the club and Chansiri for the late payments. Since then, while there has been a meeting with the club's supporters' group there has been no official comment to suggest action is being taken.

The EFL has no ability to take control of the club or force Chansiri to sell it, but it can put pressure on to expedite a sale -- often by threatening expulsion from the league. It's the route that finally saw Chinese businessman Dai Yongge sell Reading in May. However, the EFL has no power to make Chansiri sell, and he could just allow the club to fold.

This will change when the new independent regulator for English football begins to operate, but that could be too late for Wednesday.

This is the big question, and a lot will depend on Chansiri's ability to fund the club for the whole season. That he hasn't managed to pay players or staff for three consecutive months points either to serious cashflow issues, or that he has simply removed his funding. The latter would be more concerning, as it would suggest he has no need to sell the club below his reported personal valuation of 100 million -- a figure he has no realistic chance of achieving.

The EFL knows how bad it will look if a club the size of Wednesday go under, so it seems unlikely drastic action will be taken which would see them fail to start the season -- as was the case with Bury (who eventually went out of business) in 2019.

The situation is perhaps more comparable with another former Premier League club, Bolton Wanderers. Also in 2019, Bolton were allowed to start the campaign and played their opening fixtures with a squad largely made up of young players until a sale of the club went through a few weeks later. At least in Bolton's case there appeared to be the prospect of a takeover.

Another the key issue is that Chansiri has separated the ground from the club in that botched attempt to avoid PSR charges, and it seems unlikely a deal will be possible unless both are included.

After the July wages failed to arrive last Thursday, Wednesday's players refused to play a behind-closed-doors friendly with Premier League club Burnley at the weekend.

Captain Barry Bannan, who signed a new contract last week despite the turmoil, says he expects the troubled Owls to fulfil their opening Championship fixture away to Leicester.

However, the players issued a joint statement on Monday that said they "stand together in support with all our colleagues" and that action must be taken so that "decisions taken like the one not to play at Burnley are avoided in the future." Striking for a competitive fixture would be a last resort, but it clearly cannot be ruled out.

Understandably, there is despair that every day appears to bring more bad news. Supporters have been protesting against Chansiri's ownership for several months, but it will now be ramped up as the club lurches close to disaster.

A protest is planned for the Leicester game, which is live on television around the world, when fans won't take their seats until the fifth minute -- leaving an empty away end with an anti-Chansiri banner.

Further protests are planned at home fixtures, when one the biggest stands will remain empty -- and facing the television cameras -- until Chansiri funds repairs. Fans have also removed their funding of club merchandise to starve Chansiri of that revenue stream.

With Chansiri in Thailand, and failing to engage with players, staff or supporters, there will be an air of inertia until the situation is resolved. The only way out of this appears to be the sale of the club, but that doesn't seem to be close and will require Chansiri lowering his demands.

With a threadbare squad which has had its attacking quality stripped away, only 11 players over the age of 21 and the possibility of a points deduction for the charges laid in June, there is no hope of staying in the Championship.

Regardless of supporter protests, and EFL sanctions, the club's future lies in the hands of one man: Chansiri.

If a takeover does happen, the new owners will have to deal with the embargo, which means Wednesday can't sign players for a transfer fee until 2027. Whatever happens, reaching the Premier League again seems light-years away.

Source: espn.co.uk