Leeds have confirmed that Patrick Bamford’s contract has been cancelled by mutual consent and the striker will leave the club this summer. Last month, Leeds boss Daniel Farke revealed that he told Bamford he wasn’t a part of his plans for the Premier League and the 31-year-old was made to train away from the first team. Bamford has still been allowed to use the facilities at Thorp Arch since Farke exiled him from the squad. A financial package was agreed between him and the club to finalise his exit. In a video posted on his own social media, Bamford said the situation was ‘too raw’ for him to reflect on immediately. Bamford still had a left year on his contract but will now leave after seven years at the club where he won the Championship twice. ‘Right now, with the way it has come to an end and the way things have been handled recently, it’s all a little bit too raw to reflect on immediately, but I think in the years to come and further down the line, I’ll look back at this period of my life with nothing but joy, pride and be super happy with what I’ve achieved and the fact that I was able to wear this number nine shirt in front of you guys for this many years,’ said Bamford. He added: ‘The club became a massive part of my world, and I tried to make you proud by doing the most I could on the pitch and also in the community. As in any walk of life, there have been challenges, and we’ve had our ups and downs as the song goes, but I’ve always felt strongly connected with both fans and the community. But as I leave here, I’m a married man to my beautiful wife, Michaela, and we have two beautiful girls who were born here in Yorkshire. ‘I want to take this moment to thank everyone who was involved in bringing me to Leeds United, and also all the staff at the training ground and Elland Road who work tirelessly behind the scenes. Their work is not often seen by the fans, but it really does lay the foundations for all of us to achieve what we do on the pitch, they really are the heartbeat of the club. Over the years here at Leeds, I’ve shared the dressing room with some amazing guys. Some I can now call friends for life – to name a few Klichy, Pablo, Bill, Coops, Stuey, Kalv and the guys I’ve shared the dressing room with more recently who achieved an amazing feat last year.’ ‘I’d also like to thank the managers I’ve had the chance to work with whilst here, especially Marcelo. I don’t know where the club would be without the foundations he laid. Under his guidance, I was able to achieve my dream I’ve had since a young boy, playing for England. And of course, finally, I’d like to thank you fans. I know at times it’s been frustrating, and you’ve probably pulled your hair out at points as well, but together, in these seven years, we’ve celebrated some of the best moments in the club’s recent history. I know I’ve still got a lot more to give and a lot more football to play, but for now, I’ll see you around. Your number nine, Patrick.’ In a statement, the club paid tribute to Bamford’s contribution to a pair of Championship titles and his work off the pitch with the fans and local community.

The draw for the league phase for the 2025/2026 Champions League have been conducted on Thursday. This year, the competition will continue to use the ‘Swiss-style’ league phase rather than the group stage to which fans had become accustomed. That means that 36 teams will again take part in the competition. Then the top eight sides will then qualify automatically for the knockout stages, while the teams that finish in ninth to 24th place will be drawn in a two-legged play-off to secure a place in the last 16 of the competition. Teams ranked 25-36 are eliminated from all competitions. Here are some of the fixtures: Bayern Munich will face Chelsea (H), PSG (A), Club Brugge (H), Arsenal (A), Sporting CP (H), PSV (A), Union SG (H), Pafos (A) Chelsea will play Barcelona (H), Bayern Munich (A), Benfica (H), Atalanta (A), Ajax (H), Napoli (A), Pafos (H), Qarabag (A) Real Madrid take on Manchester City (H), Liverpool (A), Juventus (H), Benfica (A), Marseille (H), Olympiacos (A), Monaco (H), Kairat Almaty (A) Inter Milan have been drawn against Liverpool (H), Dortmund (A), Arsenal (H), Atletico Madrid (A), Salavia Praha (H), Ajax (A), Kairat Almaty, Union SG Borussia Dortmund will face Inter Milan (H), Manchester City, Villarreal, Juventus, Bodo/Glimt, Tottenham, Athletic Club, Copenhagen (A) Liverpool play Real Madrid (H), Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Frankfurt, PSV, Marseille, Qarabag, Galatasaray (A) Barcelona take on PSG (H), Chelsea, Frankfurt, Club Brugge, Olympiacos, Slavia Praha, Copenhagen, Newcastle (A) Source: dailypost

Chelsea have agreed a £40m fee with Manchester United to sign Alejandro Garnacho. The deal, which includes a 10 per cent sell-on fee, represents the fourth-largest sale in United’s history after those of Cristiano Ronaldo, Romelu Lukaku and Angel Di Maria – and the club’s largest ever sale of an academy graduate. A compromise over Garnacho’s valuation had to be reached as United valued him at £50m – which was more than Chelsea were prepared to pay. United negotiated the fee up from an initial Chelsea offer of £25m and are understood to feel it is a good, pragmatic deal, delivering their largest sale fee for five years. They also believe it is a good solution for the player, who has been pushing strongly to leave. It is understood he leaves with United’s best wishes. Garnacho turned down offers from other clubs because he wanted to move to Chelsea. The winger was told he could leave at the end of last season and he is not training with Ruben Amorim’s first-team squad. Source: skysports

Newcastle United have reached an agreement with Stuttgart to sign Nick Woltemade, according to Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg. The Magpies have had a long summer of trying to add a striker to their squad but have run into major hurdles after being rejected by the likes of Joao Pedro, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko already, while star man Alexander Isak is desperate to leave and join Liverpool. But Eddie Howe has finally got himself a new number nine, with long-term target Woltemade now on his way to St James’ Park. Woltemade, who scored 12 Bundesliga goal in 2024/25 for Stuttgart, was one of the top targets for Bayern Munich this summer, but a deal never materialised due to Stuttgart’s price demands. A fantastic Under-21 European Championship tournament for the 23-year-old saw his value skyrocket, and now Newcastle have moved to seal a deal with a full agreement found. Newcastle have agreed a deal worth €85m plus €5m in add-ons (£73.5m plus £4.3m) with the Bundesliga club, and the player has agreed to the move. Woltemade has already said his goodbyes to his teammates and is currently on his way to Newcastle to undergo a medical. The deal comes just days after Newcastle made a move to sign Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen. The Magpies had an initial bid worth £50m rejected for the Norway international but then returned with a £55m bid the following day, which was also turned down. Strand Larsen told Wolves he wanted the move and Newcastle were preparing a new bid worth around £60m, but the Midlands club have told Newcastle and the player that a deal won’t be sanctioned in this window. Now Newcastle have moved on to Woltemade and they have been able to wrap up a deal very quickly for the highly-rated 23-year-old, and it could be the domino that allows Isak to move on. Source: givemesport

Manchester United suffered a humiliating Carabao Cup exit as they were beaten in a marathon penalty shootout by League Two Grimsby at Blundell Park. It had appeared United had rescued themselves in the nick of time after finding themselves two goals down following a truly awful first-half display, with returning goalkeeper Andre Onana at fault for Grimsby’s second. Charles Vernam and Tyrell Warren got the Mariners goals before United substitute Bryan Mbeumo pulled one back and Harry Maguire equalised in the final minute. But Matheus Cunha failed to secure victory in United’s last spot-kick of the regulation five, and Mbeumo’s second penalty hit the bar to hand Grimsby a 12-11 shootout success and trigger a pitch invasion from the jubilant home fans. They eventually left the field but waited in their seats long after the final whistle as the players and manager David Artell came out to conduct post-match interviews following one of the greatest nights in the club’s history. United manager Ruben Amorim gave the impression of cowering in the dugout as the drama unfolded and one of only two realistic chances of silverware disappeared at the first available opportunity. He endured the “sacked in the morning” chants from gleeful home fans in the stand behind him during the first half as he watched his side find themselves in an even more embarrassing position than those he experienced last season, during which he described them as ‘maybe the worst’ in the club’s history. He was not helped by Onana’s shocking error. Left out for the first two Premier League games of the season, the Cameroon international had not looked entirely comfortable even before he came to collect a cross swept into a crowded penalty area after 30 minutes. Inexplicably, Onana dropped it and former United academy player Warren turned the loose ball into an empty net. The goal doubled the advantage given to Grimsby by Vernam, who beat Onana with a low shot after Kieran Green took possession away from Amad Diallo and Manuel Ugarte, allowing Darragh Burns to deliver the far-post cross. Amorim sent on skipper Bruno Fernandes, new forward Mbeumo and defensive kingpin Matthijs de Ligt at half-time in an attempt to save the game. Mbeumo pulled one back with a shot into the corner 15 minutes from time. Following more attacking substitutes that meant Mason Mount and Mbeumo were filling the wing-back roles by the end, Maguire converted the last-minute equaliser. As Cunha strode up to take United’s fifth penalty, it seemed they would escape. But Cunha failed – and so did his team. Source: bbc

AC Milan who are interested in the Christopher Nkunku, and that interest appears to be strong enough to involve an actual transfer fee. A bid of around €30-40m is on the table. Only four other times have Milan spent that much on a player since 2020 (one of them was Fikayo Tomori). Of course, there’s plenty of time yet for this to turn into a free loan with 50 per cent wages and a buy-option of €10m, but perhaps Chelsea can hope to agree a decent deal. The Rossoneri are said to be “close” to agreeing personal terms with Nkunku and hope the deal can be finalised before the transfer window closes. Source: yahoosports

Chelsea are close to agreeing a deal with Manchester United over the signing of Alejandro Garnacho. A compromise over Garnacho’s valuation is set to be reached. United valued him at £50m – which was more than what Chelsea were prepared to pay. Garnacho has turned down offers from other clubs because he wants to move to Chelsea. The winger was told he could leave United at the end of last season and he is not training with their first-team squad. There is increased confidence that a move will be completed before the transfer deadline next Monday.

PSG and Real Sociedad have reached an agreement for Spain international midfielder Carlos Soler (28) to join the Basque club, according to L’Equipe. Soler returned to PSG following the end of his loan move to Premier League side West Ham United. The Hammers have opted against triggering the option to make the midfielder’s move permanent. Soler looks to be the latest member of PSG’s bomb squad to have found an exit route this summer, like Milan Skriniar, Nordi Mukiele, Renato Sanches and Arnau Tenas before him. The Spaniard joined the Ligue 1 champions from formative club Valencia in a €18m move. He signed a five-year deal, which expires in 2027. According to Fabrizio Romano, PSG and Real Sociedad have reached an agreement over a loan move with an option to buy. The Liga side reportedly expects the deal to be made permanent. Source: yahoosports

Borussia Dortmund have reached an agreement to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Fabio Silva in a deal worth up to €26.5 million. The agreement includes €22.5 million up front, with a further €4 million to be paid in performance-related add-ons. Silva, 23, has said his goodbyes to Wolves teammates and staff following Tuesday’s Carabao Cup win over West Ham, a match in which he was not included in the squad. He is now expected to travel to Germany for a medical before completing the move, subject to final approval from the Dortmund board. Silva joined Wolves from Porto in 2020 for a club-record fee of €40 million but has struggled to make a consistent impact in the Premier League. The striker scored five goals in 72 appearances for Wolves but produced stronger numbers during loan spells in Belgium, the Netherlands, Scotland and Spain. He impressed most recently at Las Palmas, where he scored 10 goals and added three assists in La Liga last season. That form restored his reputation and attracted interest from across Europe, with Dortmund ultimately winning the race to secure his signature. RB Leipzig and Roma were also monitoring Silva, but the Portuguese forward made clear that his preference was a move to the Bundesliga. Wolves had been holding out for close to €25 million despite Silva entering the final year of his contract. Dortmund initially hesitated to meet that valuation but eventually agreed a compromise on the fee structure. Silva’s arrival continues Dortmund’s recruitment drive from the Premier League, following the signings of Chelsea duo Carney Chukwuemeka and Aaron Anselmino earlier this week. Advertisement At Dortmund, he will compete with Serhou Guirassy and Karim Adeyemi for a starting spot in Edin Terzic’s attack. For Wolves, the deal represents a significant financial boost at a time when the club are still active in the market. The funds could be reinvested into strengthening the squad before the transfer deadline, particularly in attacking areas. Wolves have already signed forwards Fer Lopez and Jhon Arias, while Girona defender Ladislav Krejci is expected to join for around £26 million. They also completed the permanent signing of Jorgen Strand Larsen from Celta Vigo earlier this summer, though the Norwegian has been the subject of heavy interest from Newcastle United. Even though Wolves will take a loss on Silva compared with his record fee in 2020, the club are relieved to have secured a sizeable return that had looked unlikely during much of his five-year spell. Silva leaves Molineux having failed to fully establish himself, but his revival in Spain has given him a new chance to fulfil the promise that first persuaded Wolves to invest heavily in him as a teenager. Source: yahoosports

Italian full-back Alessandro Florenzi has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 34, bringing an end to a distinguished career spanning over a decade. Florenzi began his professional journey at AS Roma, making over 200 appearances and even captaining the team. Known for his versatility, he played both as a right-back and midfielder, earning a reputation as a dynamic and reliable player. His career also included loan spells at Crotone, Valencia, Paris Saint-Germain, and AC Milan. Among his achievements, Florenzi won the UEFA Euro 2020 with Italy and the Serie A title with AC Milan in 2022. In a heartfelt Instagram message, Florenzi thanked his family, teammates, coaches, and fans for their support throughout his career. He reflected on the challenges and triumphs, concluding: “Today we say goodbye, but you will always be a part of me.” Florenzi left AC Milan in June 2025 and has decided to focus on personal endeavors and family life. His retirement marks the end of an era for a player who embodied dedication, passion, and resilience both on and off the pitch. Source: Tribuna