Premier League returns: staff information and transfers as we rely right down to kick-off – dwell! | Premier League

“75 days is an extended wait,” says the official Premier League India Twitter account.

Is it?

It’s Friday, it’s 5pm – sure! – it’s Rob Smyth with at the moment’s Fiver:

“Ralph Hassenhüttl is correct, loads of time left to make transfers occur,” emails Olivier. “That is really a disgrace, I’d like to see the switch window slam shut with the primary kick-off. Rather more enjoyable and truthful than this nonsense.”

That is an concept I can get behind. Spice it up a bit.

Each time I swap on Sky Sports activities Information, it’s simply Brendan Rodgers saying “at this second in time.”

The Premier League is most undoubtedly again.

Championship information: Apparently, the pitch on the Coventry Constructing Society Area is in a proper previous state after the venue hosted the rugby sevens on the Commonwealth Video games.

Because of this, Coventry’s assembly with Rotherham, at the moment scheduled for 3pm on Sunday, has been thrown into doubt, and the house membership have confirmed {that a} pitch inspection will happen tomorrow:

The Southampton supervisor, Ralph Hasenhüttl, has insisted big-money signings “make no sense” for Southampton.

Saints have introduced in six recruits earlier than the brand new marketing campaign, with additional additions nonetheless being sought. Hasenhüttl believes spending upwards of £40million on one participant stays off Southampton’s agenda, nonetheless, with the south-coast membership persevering with to deal with younger targets.

“I’m nonetheless of the opinion that £40 or £50million transfers make no sense for us,” he mentioned. “However we in fact need high quality, and if it’s younger, OK, no downside, take it. That is the way in which we need to go and it’s good that now we have performed our job to this point. However the switch window is open so lengthy that, if we do one thing now we have sufficient time to do it.”

Grasp on, I’ve lastly considered a extra ludicrous switch charge: Andy Carroll, for £35million, in 2011.

Cucurella newest!

“Sure, it might have been good to pay a bit much less,” emails Nate. “However for a barely-24-year-old Spanish worldwide who was participant of the season for a top-half membership final 12 months, and who can play in a number of positions … it appears comprehensible to plunk down the additional 5 or 10 million. In a market the place Richarlison and Raphina are every value £50m, Chelsea merely paid the going value for a top quality younger participant.”

By way of Nottingham Forest’s YouTube – Jack Colback has had a chat earlier than their opener in opposition to Newcastle at 3pm tomorrow:

“I believe we’ve made the followers proud right here. It’s about backing that up. We’re not right here simply to have a ‘swansong’ season within the Premier League,” Colback mentioned. “It’s about attempting to compete, and it’s what we’ll be attempting to do.”

On Forest’s switch exercise: “Particularly for us, the membership, and the followers, it have to be good for them to see the house owners backing the staff and backing the supervisor.”

On Jesse Lingard: “Jesse’s a very good lad. For us, he’s simply one other participant … for the followers, he’s the kind of participant they may by no means have anticipated to return right here. He brings an enormous quantity of of expertise by way of the Premier League … that’s going to assist us, it’s going to assist with lads who haven’t skilled his degree.”

Barcelona’s new striker Robert Lewandowski says he feels fitter now at 33 than he did practically 5 years in the past and that he hopes to assist the staff along with his technical abilities and expertise. The Poland striker, who scored 344 objectives for Bayern in 375 matches, joined Barça in a deal value €45million euros final month and was introduced to hundreds of followers at Camp Nou on Friday. Lewandowski, who will flip 34 this month, says age doesn’t matter.

“It’s only a quantity and bodily I don’t really feel like I’m 33, practically 34, as a result of I do know I can nonetheless play a number of years at high degree and even longer,” Lewandowski mentioned. “I really feel higher even than once I was a 29-year-old. It’s not the query now we have to consider.”

Lewandowski and Bayern bosses criticised one another over the way in which they dealt with the switch, with the participant saying there had been lot of “politics” from the aspect of the membership who had been “looking for an argument” to promote him.

“If we’re speaking about that interval, for certain, it wasn’t simple for me to resolve to depart Bayern after eight years, however I do know for me and my household it was the proper subsequent step in my life and my profession,” he mentioned.

The Bundesliga’s second highest all-time scorer behind the late Gerd Müller mentioned he would use his expertise to information Barca’s younger gamers. “This mixture of younger gamers and skilled gamers is vital,” Lewandowski mentioned. “If I will help them with some phrases, not solely technical abilities on the pitch, however generally extra with phrases I can inform them and clarify as a result of I’ve seen quite a bit in my life in soccer.” (Reuters)

Over on Twitter, Fabrizio Romano has extra information about Mertens and his departure from Napoli. Is he off to Turkey?

And within the ultimate Mertens replace of the afternoon, this from Patrick Kendrick on Twitter:

The Cucurella debate rolls on:

“Cucurella is a terrific participant, however I do surprise the place he’ll play with Chilwell clearly the place holder at left-back,” feedback montesdeoca. “Maybe Tuchel sees him as doubling up as a marauding centre-back … I’m additionally barely shocked at our alleged courtship of De Jong. One other midfielder? Maybe Jorginho will certainly be bought. Usually I’m baffled by the shortage of exits – the squad is taking up a somewhat bloated look.”

In the meantime, Bob Soule tweets:

And Jeff Sachs retains it quick and candy on e mail, relating to Cucurella: “That is going to be an enormous flop.”

Did you miss something? You could find our particular person previews for each Premier League membership on this web page.

And under, a handful of items all looking forward to the massive kick-off:

You could have seen this already, however right here goes anyway. Dries Mertens posted an emotional and good farewell message to Napoli followers on Wednesday evening. Each a cultured goodbye to the membership and a very good piece of modifying by his social media guru:

Should you’d wish to become involved with this afternoon’s Premier League countdown enjoyable/heated debate, you possibly can all the time e mail me, or alternatively contact me through the magic of Twitter.

“Is as much as £62m for Cucurella (who can’t realistically be described as being within the high 5 full backs within the league, at the very least at this level) perhaps the maddest switch in PL historical past?” feedback oceanicwave.

“I’m truthfully struggling to think about a extra clearly overpriced deal. I used to be pondering perhaps Pepe at £70m however at the very least he’d come off an distinctive season and appeared thrilling.

“If a state-owned membership with about 12 £60m gamers in it already pull out of a deal as a result of the worth has ballooned out of all management, perhaps it’s time to have a look at whether or not you’re doing the appropriate factor.”

I’m not solely certain if Richarlison’s sale to Tottenham will be seen as a part of Lampard’s “striker headache”? It’s going to be a really lengthy headache, in that case.

Frank Lampard believes Dele Alli might be the treatment for his striker headache in Everton’s Premier League opener in opposition to Chelsea. Lampard heads into Saturday’s night fixture at Goodison Park and not using a recognised central ahead after Dominic Calvert-Lewin was dominated out for six weeks with a knee damage.

Salomon Rondon is suspended for the go to of Lampard’s former membership, whereas Richarlison has been bought to Tottenham. Alli has began solely as soon as since his January swap from Spurs, however Lampard mentioned: “Dele made his title as a second striker, for my part, with Harry Kane at Tottenham.

“They’d some nice years collectively. He could also be moved again because the years went on, typically to grow to be extra of a No 8 or a extra structured midfield participant. However he’s actually within the working as an answer.” (PA Media)

I do know what you’re sitting there and pondering … when do the highest leagues begin throughout Europe? Nice query!

Serie A kicks off subsequent Saturday, Sampdoria v Atalanta being the curtain-raiser, at 6.30pm native time.

The Bundesliga, just like the Premier League, kicks into gear this night, with Eintracht Frankfurt internet hosting the Robert Lewandowski-less Bayern Munich at 8.30pm tonight (7.30pm UK).

La Liga begins subsequent Friday evening with Osasuna v Sevilla at 8pm UK time/9pm in Spain.

In France, Lyon kick issues off tonight in Ligue 1, at residence to one of many promoted groups, Ajaccio, who will likely be popping throughout from their base on the island of Corsica. Presumably they gained’t get the ferry, however right here’s a photograph of 1 leaving Ajaccio anyway.

Thanks Tom. Hi there everybody. Proper, what’s the most recent? Let me verify.

And with that, it’s Luke’s flip to retake the reins to information you thru the remainder of the afternoon. Bye and have a very good weekend.

An early-season headache for Leicester: Ricardo Pereira has been dominated out for six months with a ruptured achilles.

Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo may swap his worldwide allegiance from France to Cameroon in time to play for the west African nation within the World Cup, Related Press is reporting. Cameroon’s soccer federation mentioned on Friday that the winger desires to vary eligibility to place himself in competition for a spot at Qatar 2022 . He could be the third former France under-21 worldwide with household ties to Cameroon to make the swap this 12 months, after Georges-Kevin Nkoudou and Olivier Ntcham.

And right here’s Jamie Jackson’s full story on Eric ten Hag’s laying down of the legislation at Outdated Trafford:

Wolves have rejected Nottingham Forest’s provide for Morgan Gibbs-White, as Ben Fisher and Will Unwin report:

When did “within the constructing” grow to be the go-to cliche to explain getting switch offers performed? No matter, Maxwel Cornet is seemingly in a single as his £17.5m West Ham transfer from Burnley edges nearer to completion. Right here’s Moyesy: “He’s within the constructing now, so hopefully we are able to get that one performed.”

After all, for {most professional} golf equipment in England this isn’t the opening weekend of the season – the EFL season received beneath method final season, and there’s Championship motion tonight when Birmingham, slowed down by possession uncertainty for months and tipped by many for relegation, tackle promotion hopefuls Huddersfield at St Andrew’s. Blues received an honest draw at Luton final week thoughts, whereas Huddersfield had been overwhelmed by Burnley and it might take new supervisor Danny Schofield time to mattress in.

Eddie Howe indicators new long-term Newcastle deal

Thanks Luke. And right here’s an fascinating little statistical line that PA Media have simply put up about substitute-use, as we head right into a season through which 5 are allowed: Manchester Metropolis used their subs’ bench much less typically than any staff within the Premier League or the English Soccer League final season, PA information company evaluation reveals. Substitutes accounted for less than 4.5% of Man Metropolis’s Premier League taking part in time in 2021-22, the bottom share of minutes in England’s high 4 tiers.

Although this would seem to go in opposition to the road that growing the variety of subs would favour the massive groups, it additionally displays the squad stability that solely the richest golf equipment are normally in a position to preserve.

That’s all from me – again to Tom Davies to information you thru the remainder of the massive Premier League countdown …

Right here, in video kind, is John Brewin’s view on how Wolves are shaping up for the Premier League season forward:

Now, some switch information from the Ladies’s Tremendous League:

Chelsea have made the Sweden worldwide Johanna Rytting Kaneryd their fifth summer time signing. The winger joins on a three-year deal, with an choice to increase for one more 12 months.

The 25-year previous, who will put on the No 19 shirt, joins after scoring 15 objectives in 55 appearances for BK Häcken, and featured in all of the Swedish membership’s Champions League group matches final season.

Ten Hag performs down Ronaldo row

“Our intention is to win each recreation,” says Erik ten Hag.

Not precisely what you’d name an authentic thought from the brand new Manchester United supervisor, however an admirable ambition, nonetheless.