Newcastle United are nearing an agreement to sign Benfica right-back Amar Dedic as new manager Matthias Jaissle rebuilds his depleted squad ahead of the upcoming Premier League campaign.
The Magpies are targeting up to four new additions before the transfer window closes at the beginning of September.
It follows a turbulent summer for the Tyneside club, who have seen several star players depart alongside former boss Eddie Howe.
Sandro Tonali secured a £100m move to Tottenham Hotspur, while Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon left for Arsenal and Barcelona respectively.
Jaissle, arriving from Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli, has inherited a fractured dressing room in desperate need of experienced reinforcements.
Familiar face offers defensive stability
Reports suggest a breakthrough is now imminent regarding a transfer for the Bosnian international.
Dedic previously played under the German head coach during their time together at Austrian outfit RB Salzburg in the 2022-23 season.
The highly rated full-back made 43 appearances for his Portuguese employers last term, contributing one goal and four assists across all competitions.
His expected arrival at St James’ Park would provide crucial cover and competition for Tino Livramento on the right side of defence.
Significant funds available for further additions
Despite UEFA’s strict financial regulations, the North East outfit reportedly have up to £150m available following their lucrative summer sales.
Recruitment officials are actively seeking a top-level replacement for the influential Guimaraes in central midfield.
A new forward to challenge Yoane Wissa and Will Osula remains a priority, alongside potential left-back cover for Manchester United target Lewis Hall.
Confirmation of incoming business could emerge this weekend as Newcastle face Bayer Leverkusen and Strasbourg in consecutive pre-season friendlies.
Jaissle will then prepare his newly assembled side for their opening league fixture against Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool a week on Sunday.
English football will implement unprecedented new laws for the 2026-27 season aimed at reducing time-wasting and increasing the pace of the game.
These radical changes will be deployed across all domestic tiers, ranging from grassroots matches up to the Premier League.
The new regulations officially take effect during Sunday’s Community Shield clash between Arsenal and Manchester City.
Officials intend to eliminate frustrating stoppages and maximise playing time without resorting to excessive added minutes.
Speeding up restarts with strict countdowns
Referees will now actively penalise players who deliberately delay goal-kicks and throw-ins.
A visible five-second countdown will commence if an official judges that a team is purposefully disrupting the match tempo.
Failure to restart play within the allotted timeframe will result in the ball being turned over to the opposition.
Goalkeepers who take too long over late goal-kicks will now immediately concede a corner kick as a direct punishment.
Time-limited substitutions introduce temporary dismissals
Another major rule change dictates that departing players have a strict 10-second window to exit the field at the nearest boundary.
If a substituted player fails to leave promptly, their replacement is barred from entering the pitch for at least one minute.
This effectively forces the offending team to compete with 10 players until the next natural break in play occurs.
Carabao Cup confusion highlights adjustment period
These tempo-focused laws were initially trialled at the World Cup, where ball-in-play time increased significantly to over 60 percent.
However, the domestic rollout has already caused confusion, with Middlesbrough experiencing the first high-profile punishment in the Carabao Cup.
Striker Will Lankshear slowly jogged off the pitch to applaud supporters during his side’s narrow victory against Wrexham.
Despite urgent pleas from Boro manager Kim Hellberg, the forward exceeded the time limit and delayed Fin Cartwright’s introduction.
“I didn’t know!”
The former Tottenham player admitted his ignorance after the game, having inadvertently left his new team numerically disadvantaged.
Carlos Sainz has reportedly rejected a £25.5m contract extension with Williams as the Spanish driver explores potential moves to rival Formula 1 teams.
The former Ferrari driver initially signed a two-year deal with the Grove-based outfit after being replaced by Lewis Hamilton ahead of the 2025 campaign.
However, a heavily compromised 2026 season has left the grand prix winner evaluating his long-term future on the grid.
Schumacher highlights Red Bull link
Former driver Ralf Schumacher has suggested the sought-after racer is keeping his options open amid a turbulent driver market.
“I’m curious about Sainz. He apparently rejected an offer from Williams,” Ralf Schumacher told Sky Germany.
“Is that related to the possibility that Max Verstappen might leave Red Bull? Or is Sainz even headed to Audi?”
Aerodynamic struggles plague Williams
Schumacher also highlighted deep-rooted issues within the current Williams setup under the new regulations.
“Things are tense at Williams. The team made a huge mistake with the car.”
The historic British team are currently languishing in ninth place in the Constructors’ Championship at the summer break.
Their FW48 challenger has suffered from excess weight and severe aerodynamic instability since its initial production.
Vowles shifts focus to future
Consequently, the Madrid-born racer sits 15th in the Drivers’ Championship with a mere six points to his name.
Team principal James Vowles is now reportedly shifting focus towards the 2027 season to rectify these fundamental design flaws.
The proposed £25.5m extension would have made the Spaniard one of the highest-paid competitors on the current grid.
Instead, he could now make a sensational switch to Red Bull, Aston Martin or Alpine for the upcoming campaign.
West Ham United have agreed a Championship-record fee of up to £25m with Celtic for midfielder Arne Engels, who is travelling to London for a medical.
The Belgian international has emerged as a primary target for the Hammers as they prepare for their first second-tier campaign in 14 years.
Initial negotiations began last month, but an agreement has finally been struck which could eclipse the division’s previous transfer record.
An initial payment of £22m will surpass the £20.8m Burnley committed for Florentino Luis earlier this summer.
Rebuilding for immediate return
The 22-year-old playmaker is expected to sign a long-term contract following his medical examinations in the capital on Friday.
He will become the fourth summer arrival at the London Stadium, joining recent £7m acquisition Manor Solomon from Tottenham Hotspur.
Experienced free agent Joel Veltman and permanent signing Keiber Lamadrid have already bolstered a squad reeling from top-flight relegation.
Manager Nuno Espirito Santo is accelerating his recruitment drive ahead of the September deadline after a sluggish start to the window.
Replacing departed stars
A significant transfer war chest was generated by the £150m triple departure of Mateus Fernandes, Crysencio Summerville and Freddie Potts.
Santo is eager to utilise his incoming midfield reinforcement’s versatility, with the former Augsburg man capable of operating centrally, out wide or at full-back.
The versatile operator departs Glasgow having won two Scottish Premiership titles and both domestic cups during a highly successful stint.
He contributed 17 goals and 22 assists in 100 appearances across all competitions for the Hoops following an £11m switch in 2024.
Championship campaign begins
Despite missing out on Belgium’s recent World Cup squad, the four-cap international brings elite pedigree to East London.
The East London outfit recently opened their season with a 3-1 comeback victory over Portsmouth in the Carabao Cup first round.
Their push for Premier League promotion officially begins on Sunday with a demanding trip to face fellow contenders Burnley.
Tottenham Hotspur are set to complete the double departure of captain Cristian Romero to Atletico Madrid and full-back Djed Spence to Inter Milan.
The Argentine centre-back will undergo a medical in Spain on Friday ahead of a £34m switch to the La Liga outfit.
Meanwhile, Spence has already arrived in Italy to finalise a £25.6m transfer to the Serie A champions.
Spurs are aggressively looking to offset an ambitious summer spending spree that has exceeded £260m across six new additions before the September 1 deadline.
Romero seeks fresh challenge
The departure of the World Cup finalist will force head coach Roberto De Zerbi to appoint a new club skipper for the second time in a year.
Atletico Madrid have agreed to include a 15 per cent sell-on clause for the 26-year-old defender.
Barcelona and Inter both explored a deal for the South American, while Spurs outright refused to entertain a shock approach from arch-rivals Arsenal.
The fiery centre-half departs north London after four seasons, having faced intense criticism last term for his persistent disciplinary issues and suspensions.
He also frustrated supporters by flying to Argentina immediately prior to Tottenham’s final-day 1-0 victory over Everton, which ultimately secured their Premier League survival.
Spence secures Serie A switch
The versatile England international pushed for an exit to guarantee regular first-team football following an impressive international campaign.
He had fallen behind Pedro Porro in the pecking order, with the Spaniard recently signing a new five-year contract in north London.
The full-back will now link up with international team-mate John Stones at the San Siro.
Stones recently joined the Nerazzurri on a free transfer following his departure from Manchester City.
Chelsea will hope new manager Xabi Alonso can inspire a shock Premier League title charge following their dismal 10th-place finish last season.
The west London club find themselves in an almost identical situation to a decade ago, when Antonio Conte won the league immediately after a mid-table finish.
During that 2015-16 campaign, interim boss Guus Hiddink steered the side to tenth place with a goal difference remarkably similar to their current statistics.
Few expected a championship run the following year, especially after finishing 31 points adrift of miraculous title winners Leicester City.
A tactical blueprint for success
The catalyst for that historic triumph was a drastic mid-season switch to a three-man defence following a heavy defeat at Arsenal.
This tactical approach is one the Blues could easily replicate this term under their new Spanish head coach.
The former Liverpool midfielder famously utilised a back three to guide Bayer Leverkusen to an unbeaten Bundesliga crown in the 2023-24 campaign.
Replicating that previous 43-point improvement remains a monumental challenge for the current squad at Stamford Bridge.
Lowering the title threshold
However, the modern benchmark for becoming champions of England appears to have dropped slightly from the relentless heights set by Manchester City and Liverpool.
Arsenal’s winning points tally last season was the second-lowest to claim the crown since Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester side a decade ago.
This suggests the former Champions League winners may not need to reach the 93 points amassed under Conte to mount a serious challenge.
Furthermore, underlying metrics indicate the squad performed much better than their final league position implies.
Fixing the attacking misfires
Expected goals data reveals the side were actually the fourth-most dominant team in the top flight last year.
Their primary undoing was a severe lack of clinical finishing in the final third.
The team scored eight fewer goals than anticipated from the high-quality chances they created throughout the campaign.
Only Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers possessed worse conversion rates during the previous Premier League season.
If the new manager can refine this wasteful attacking output, a dramatic rise up the table is entirely plausible.
Promising Australian golfer Jessica Bang has died at the age of 18 after suffering a brain haemorrhage while preparing for a tournament in Thailand.
The teenager collapsed on 1 August before being rushed to a hospital in Bangkok for emergency brain surgery.
After spending nearly two weeks in intensive care, the young athlete passed away on Thursday.
‘Outstanding young talent’ mourned by golf community
The WPGA Tour of Australasia paid tribute to their rookie player, describing her as an exceptional prospect.
“The thoughts and prayers of everyone at the WPGA Tour of Australasia and the broader Australian golf community are with Jessica’s family, friends and all those who knew and loved her at this incredibly difficult time.”
A fundraising page was established by her cousins following the sudden medical emergency to assist with mounting healthcare costs.
“We are truly heartbroken by this news. The funds we have raised will be given to her parents to help contribute towards her medical expenses.”
A rapidly rising star on the professional circuit
The Australian prospect recently qualified to begin her first full season on the WPGA Tour after winning the Queensland Amateur championship.
She secured her maiden professional victory in only her fifth start earlier this year, marking a rapid ascent through the sporting ranks.
In February, the talented rookie shot a remarkable final-round 65 to win a regional qualifier, earning a coveted spot in the NWS Women’s Open on the Ladies European Tour.
Enzo Maresca has begun implementing his distinct tactical vision at Manchester City as he faces the daunting challenge of succeeding Pep Guardiola.
The newly appointed manager takes over following an unprecedentedly successful ten-year spell under his Catalan predecessor.
Many supporters initially expected the former Chelsea boss to act as a direct continuation of the previous regime.
However, early pre-season performances reveal a coach who, while inspired by his mentor, possesses a highly individual stylistic approach.
Positional play remains the core foundation
To comprehend the current tactical evolution, one must first examine the foundational principles established over the past decade.
The previous administration prioritised aggressive ball retention, operating primarily in the opponent’s defensive third.
This philosophy was deeply rooted in positional play, a concept demanding strict geographic discipline from every player on the pitch.
Domenec Torrent, a long-serving former assistant coach, famously defined this approach based on spatial relationships.
“It is how you place yourself in relation to others on the field when you have the ball, and where you should be so that you can continue pressing when you lose it.”
Maintaining a formidable rest defence
The conclusion of that definition highlights another crucial element that the new Italian head coach has firmly retained.
A robust rest defence requires attacking players to maintain structured positions behind the ball to immediately neutralise counter-attacks.
The reigning English champions clearly demonstrated these retained principles by holding 64% possession during their recent friendly against Inter Milan.
Just like his legendary predecessor, the 44-year-old tactician demands his squad operate within strictly defined zones rather than roaming freely.
Transitioning to a rigid new shape
Despite sharing fundamental philosophies, the actual on-pitch system differs noticeably from the previous era.
In possession, the squad now transitions into a 3-2-2-3 formation, mirroring the structure previously utilised during the manager’s time in London.
This rigid framework keeps three defensive specialists in the first line to guarantee width coverage and secure ball progression.
Ahead of them, a double pivot operates to screen the backline and launch immediate counter-presses upon losing possession.
Within this midfield pairing, Mateo Kovacic anchors the base while his partner is granted the freedom to support offensive phases.
Tijjani Reijnders has recently flourished in this advanced role, despite ongoing speculation regarding a potential transfer away from the Etihad.
The crucial role of wide attackers
Ahead of this structural base, offensive wingers are explicitly instructed to maintain high and wide positions.
These forwards must resist any temptation to drift centrally, stretching the opposition to create essential interior spaces.
Nico Gonzalez recently emphasised the physical demands of this precise tactical system following a gruelling pre-season encounter against the K-League All-Stars.