Key events
Rick Harris has emailed in on the subject of the PFA Players’ Player of the Year:
While a case can of course be made for golden boot winner Mo Salah, midfield enforcer Alexis Mac Alister; red hot, then cold, then a tad warmer Cole Palmer; gangly gazelle ice man Alexander Isak; and one man Real destroyer Declan Rice, I have a hunch the PFA members will choose Bruno Fernandes simply because to have so many goals and assists and MOTM awards playing for the car crash that is United is a far bigger achievement without which they might have been relegated.
It’s funny I was discussing this with a colleague earlier. My view was that you cannot win player of the year if your team nearly got relegated. I don’t think Bruno will win it, but his nomination strikes me as odd, #JusticeForMbeumo.
Norway international Ingrid Engen has joined OL Lyonnes team from Barcelona.
The 27-year-old has signed a two-year deal with the French club. Engen joins after playing 152 matches in four years with Barcelona and winning 13 trophies, including two Champions League titles.
Engen will play alongside new Lyon teammate and fellow Norwegian, Ada Hegerberg, at the upcoming Euros in Switzerland next month.
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Hannah Hampton, the Lionesses new No 1, has been talking about succeeding Mary Earps as England’s preparations for the Euros continue. Here’s the latest from Tom Garry:
Thank you very much for joining me. I am off for a bit of lunch. In the meantime, Tom Bassam is in charge.
The Guardian not solely do sport and news, we offer some very good advice. Samuel Gibbs tells you want you need to know in the heat.
I can’t believe I have not been given a job in Lifestyle with example of sitting in the garden with iced water.
Ben McAleer, of WhoScored, explains why Hugo Ekitete is wanted by many top Premier League teams.
What stands out about Ekitike is not just his goals return, but the variety of ways with which he can hurt teams. His eight assists this season stemmed from 44 key passes, the 24th best return in the Bundesliga. His desire and ability to bring others into play will appeal to buying clubs. Managers no longer want their forwards to just put the ball in the back of the net, but to act as selflessly as possible, whether that means providing chances for others or drifting to the flanks to open up space for wide forwards.
Looks like Crystal Palace could be set to get a new ownership team.
Nick Smith emails: “About Williams joining Barca – ‘it’s a small world when you’ve got unbelievable wingers, Roy.’”
England U21 face Spain tomorrow in a European Championship quarter final. It is not a classic generation for the Three Lions, who stumbled through the group stage and now face the tournament favourites. I am not sure many have paid much attention to the competition, which has helped everyone gloss over the poor performances thus far. Maybe they will peak tomorrow night …
Arsenal pair lead PFA women’s award shortlist
Arsenal duo Alessia Russo and Mariona Caldentey are on the six-person shortlist for the Professional Footballers’ Association Women’s Player of the Year award.
The Gunners became champions of Europe thanks to their shock win over Barcelona last month, with Russo and Caldentey two of the stars of their 2024-25 season.
Former Manchester United forward Russo scored eight times in Arsenal’s European success and was joint top scorer in the Women’s Super League with 12 goals. Her team-mate Caldentey managed nine goals and five assists in the WSL and added eight more in the Champions League.
Erin Cuthbert is flying the flag for WSL champions Chelsea, with her contributions from midfield helping the Blues end the league season unbeaten. Manchester City duo Mary Fowler and Yui Hasegawa are also on the list, along with Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce.
The American kept 13 clean sheets in United’s 22 WSL matches.
The winner will be announced at the PFA Awards ceremony in Manchester on August 19. PA Media
Elsewhere in the Guardian blogging world we have some …
Cricket.
Horse racing.
“Nice to see Bill Murray in the Stripes of Athletic,” writes Graeme Neill. “I wonder whether he will make a Quick Change into another strip and Rushmore to other clubs while he is in Spain. Let’s hope his Spanish is good so nothing is Lost in Translation.
“(I’m so sorry. The heat has got to me)”
Speaking of Chelsea … Jacob Steinberg has been taking a look at Cole Palmer and his role under Enzo Maresca.
Cole Palmer sees himself as a normal kid. Strangers watch him with something close to fascination, though. What’s going on beneath the chilled exterior? The shrugging demeanour adds to the mystique. Kids copy the Chelsea attacker’s “cold” celebration. Interviewers walk away amused but bemused after spending time with him. What’s the story with those answers? Why are they all so short and sweet?
We have three Club World Cup games later today.
Group C
Benfica v Auckland City 5pm BST
Group D
Flamengo v Chelsea 7pm BST
Los Angeles v ES Tnus 11pm BST
I wrote today’s rumours just for you.
What else I bring in Bill Murray being given a lovely tour around Athletic Bilbao’s San Mames. Will they be replacing Nico Williams with a William?
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A bit of news to start as I have bothered to find this out … Sunderland are set to bring former Roma sporting director Florentino Ghisolfi to join the club’s football department. The 40-year-old Frenchman departed the Italian club this summer, having previously worked at Nice and Lens.
Ghisolfi will work alongside current sporting director Kristjaan Speakman at newly-promoted Sunderland.
Thank you very much David. It is somewhat muggy out here with the occasional bit of breeze, something I need a bit more of.
That’s my stint over. We now go live to Will Unwin’s garden where he’ll be taking this blog to even greater levels.
Rumour Mill: Plenty of hot gossip today and Liverpool are at the centre of a fair chunk of it. Could Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi be the one to bolster the Reds’ centre-back options? And which Premier League player could be joining Kevin De Bruyne at Napoli?
Club World Cup: Back to the action in the United States and a couple of stories featuring two high-profile Englishmen: Cole Palmer and Harry Kane.
Wirtz arrives at Liverpool’s AXA Training Centre
Florian Wirtz latest: The German attacker flew into the UK last night (Manchester rather than Liverpool; just logistics rather then a dramatic change of heart) and has already undergone and successfully completed the first part of his medical in Liverpool.
Like a sofa delivery, the best we have on part two is that it will be “later today”. What we do know is that Wirtz spent his first night in the city yesterday and arrived at Liverpool’s training ground at 08.30 this morning. Sky Sports news have wobbly footage of his van going through a traffic barrier at the club’s AXA Training Centre.
Club World Cup: With the group stage approaching halfway – blimey, that went quick – it’s time to take stock of key issues surrounding the expanded tournament. Alexander Abnos does that here.
SPL fixtures released
The 2025/26 SPL fixtures have been released. New Rangers boss Russell Martin faces a trip to Motherwell for starters (Saturday 2 August) and will tackle his first Old Firm derby before the month is out. Champions Celtic host St Mirren in their Sunday opener (3 August).
Martin’s two key early dates courtesy of PA Media…
Motherwell v Rangers (August 2)
Martin kicks off his domestic campaign as Rangers head coach against a familiar opponent in new Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Asjou. The pair were team-mates at Norwich for two seasons as they clinched back-to-back promotions under Paul Lambert. Motherwell have been tricky opponents for Rangers recently – the Steelmen have taken seven points from the past four league meetings.
Rangers v Celtic (August 31)
The big two meet for the first time, as usual, just ahead of the first international break. Martin suffered 4-0 and 5-0 defeats against Celtic in a brief playing spell at Ibrox and will be under no illusion about the importance of making an impression against the champions.
Here’s why Liverpool fans are still pacing up and down this morning. From seven years ago, one of the best-known examples of a late collapse. The club had done his video, picture and everything. Surely there will be no such problems with Florian Wirtz.
Club World Cup: Being used to the former, gentler format where there seemed to be just the odd game here and there for a few days, it’s easy to lose track of what’s going in the current bloated version.
There were four games again yesterday and, ideally for TikTok (presumably how the majority are following this), there was a Messi free-kick goal in Inter Miami’s 2-1 win over FC Porto. That’s the 68th time he’s scored from a free-kick, and according to the internet that puts him four clear of Ronaldo.
Catch up with yesterday’s games here:
And here’s today’s fixtures: All times BST
Group C: Benfica v Auckland City – 5pm
Group D: Flamengo v Chelsea – 7pm
Group D: LAFC v Es Tunis – 11pm
Group C: Bayern Munich v Boca Juniors – 2am
Liverpool pair nominated for PFA Players’ Player of the Year
Liverpool: While Florian Wirtz prepares to touch his toes and go “ahhhhhh” while a doctor holds a wooden lolly stick on his tongue, here’s some more positive Liverpool news: Mo Salah and Alexis Mac Allister have been shortlisted for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award.
Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, Chelsea’s Cole Palmer and Arsenal’s Declan Rice are the other four contenders for the award voted for by their peers.
Preamble
Suprisingly hot weather in the UK has us thinking more of rolled backhands and cover drives but THE FOOTBALL never stops and there’s plenty to get stuck into both home and abroad.
The rush of four games a day at the Club World Cup continues with Chelsea in action in the second of those and back on these shores there’s the little matter of the British transfer record being broken as Liverpool fans look for white smoke coming out of Anfield to signal that Florian Wirtz has completed his medical.
We’ll have all the latest transfer news, delve into all the other big football stories and generally make it worthwhile for you to keep refreshing this page as you sit in the garden with a mojito and break it to the dog that it’s too hot for a walk.
