Chelsea have reached a verbal agreement to sell defender Trevoh Chalobah to Italian side Como as the London club looks to trim its heavily bloated squad.
The academy graduate has fallen drastically down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge following another busy summer of spending.
Journalist Fabrizio Romano reports that the Serie A outfit have now secured a verbal commitment for the centre-back.
A move to Italy would finally end a lengthy and emotional association with his boyhood team.
Balancing the books
The Blues are actively seeking to offload homegrown talent to comply with financial regulations.
Following a string of new arrivals, further exits were deemed completely inevitable before the transfer window closes.
The English centre-half found his opportunities increasingly limited following the recent recruitment of further defensive reinforcements.
Fellow Stamford Bridge defender Tosin Adarabioyo recently offered high praise for his outgoing teammate.
He is flawless.
Tosin Adarabioyo
A fresh start in Italy
A switch to the peninsula offers a crucial chance for regular first-team football.
The ambitious Italian side have been aggressively targeting experienced players from top European leagues to bolster their newly-promoted ranks.
The exact fee for the former England Under-21 international has not yet been officially disclosed.
Negotiations are expected to progress rapidly over the coming days to finalise the requisite paperwork.
Liverpool have opened formal negotiations with Paris St-Germain to sign France winger Bradley Barcola in a transfer that could be worth more than £87m.
The Premier League side are desperate to bolster their forward line following the departure of club legend Mohamed Salah at the end of last season.
Manager Andoni Iraola has identified the 23-year-old as his primary target to line up alongside Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak.
Valuation gap remains
The back-to-back European champions currently value their prized asset at approximately £145m.
However, the Anfield club are aiming to negotiate a lower fee and have signalled a willingness to bid above €100m (£87m).
Journalist Fabrizio Romano reports that while an agreement is not imminent, the player is extremely eager to complete a move to England.
“Next week, new contacts prepared between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain for Bradley Barcola,” Romano stated on his YouTube channel.
A potential summer saga
The Italian transfer specialist suggested the complex negotiations could drag on throughout the summer window.
“Paris Saint-Germain are open to negotiating, but their conditions are expensive,” Romano added.
“Negotiations are going to take place, but don’t forget that the player wants to go to Liverpool, and that Liverpool consider Barcola their top, top target.”
The French World Cup semi-finalist enjoyed a stellar international tournament, registering three goals and one assist across eight appearances.
At club level, the dynamic forward’s creative metrics have been exceptional under Luis Enrique.
The Parisian manager recently praised the lightning-fast attacker as the finest passer in Ligue 1, while team-mate Gianluigi Donnarumma previously labelled him phenomenal.
Competition for attacking spaces
Further attacking arrivals at Anfield may depend on the futures of Cody Gakpo, Harvey Elliott and Federico Chiesa, who all face uncertain summers.
Meanwhile, Barcola’s desire to secure guaranteed starting opportunities has accelerated his search for a new challenge away from the French capital.
Chelsea are willing to offload strikers Liam Delap, Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu as new manager Xabi Alonso reshapes his attacking options ahead of the new season.
The Stamford Bridge club recently bolstered their forward line by signing veteran Danny Welbeck from Brighton and Emmanuel Emegha from Strasbourg.
Those high-profile arrivals have cast further doubt over the futures of several existing fringe players in west London.
Delap struggles to impress
Delap is attracting strong interest from Everton and Nottingham Forest after enduring a remarkably difficult debut campaign.
The 23-year-old managed just two goals across all competitions while providing cover for first-choice frontman Joao Pedro.
Despite a fierce desire to stay and fight for his place, the former Ipswich Town signing has received little encouragement regarding future playing time under Alonso.
The newly appointed Spanish coach is widely expected to continue trusting Pedro as the focal point of the team’s attack.
Complications in Jackson departure
Aston Villa are actively monitoring Jackson following the conclusion of his temporary stint with German giants Bayern Munich.
Any potential switch to the Midlands outfit is heavily complicated by strict Premier League loan regulations.
Villa have already borrowed Alejandro Garnacho from the Blues, meaning they can only pursue a permanent transfer for the Senegalese international.
Securing a permanent deal presents its own administrative hurdles because of Uefa’s stringent swap rules.
Chelsea recently finalised a club-record £117m swoop for Morgan Rogers from Villa, raising concerns that a corresponding move for Jackson could be classified as an illegal linked transaction.
Guiu and youth exits
Spanish youth international Guiu is another prime candidate for a summer departure, either on loan or via a permanent transfer.
The 20-year-old has featured sparingly since arriving from Barcelona in 2024 and is desperate to secure regular first-team football.
He briefly joined Sunderland on loan last year before being hastily recalled to cover a sudden striker shortage.
Meanwhile, highly-rated academy winger Ryan Kavuma-McQueen is currently locked in negotiations over a season-long loan switch to Championship side Portsmouth.
Major League Soccer is investigating Inter Miami’s signing of Casemiro after Los Angeles Galaxy claimed the Brazilian midfielder previously promised to join the Californian club.
The 34-year-old left Manchester United on a free transfer in July to sign a contract with the Florida-based franchise running until 2027.
However, the move immediately sparked a tampering probe regarding the league’s complex discovery rights regulations.
Discovery rights dispute explained
Under rules established in 1996, MLS teams can hold priority signing rights for up to five players at any given time.
LA Galaxy held these exclusive rights for the five-time Champions League winner before his eventual move to the East Coast.
Inter Miami announced they had acquired those rights from the Galaxy, but the league launched an immediate investigation into how the deal was conducted.
Conflicting claims emerge
LA Galaxy general manager Will Kuntz stated that the player had initially committed his future to the Western Conference side.
“It is true that Casemiro called and said that he always wanted to play for Inter Miami,” Kuntz said.
“It’s also true that came two months after he told us that he only wanted to play for the Galaxy.”
The veteran enforcer has strongly defended his decision to link up with former rival Lionel Messi.
“When I spoke to them, I made it very clear which team I wanted to join in the MLS and that is Inter Miami because of the project, the hope and of course to play with the best player of all time,” Casemiro said.
Investigations and on-pitch struggles
A financial settlement regarding the discovery priority has been reached between the two American clubs.
The specific terms of that agreement will remain confidential until the league’s tampering investigation concludes.
On the pitch, the former Real Madrid star recently scored an own goal during a 2-2 draw against Columbus Crew.
BBC Sport has approached representatives for both the player and his current employers for further comment.
Mauricio Pochettino has signed a new contract to remain as the United States men’s national team manager through to the 2030 World Cup.
U.S. Soccer confirmed the agreement on Monday morning, keeping the Argentine at the helm alongside his established backroom staff.
Assistants Jesus Perez, Miguel D’Agostino and Toni Jiménez will stay on, joined by Sebastian Pochettino and Silvia Tuyà.
The renewal follows positive discussions that began prior to the recent World Cup and intensified over the last few weeks.
Financial backing and future ambitions
The lucrative reappointment is being partly funded by a philanthropic gift from Citadel founder Kenneth C. Griffin.
Additional financial support has been secured from Scott Goodwin, Adam Freede and various commercial partners.
U.S. Soccer chief executive JT Batson highlighted the broader goals of the federation moving forward.
“We know we have a lot of work to do to achieve our clear ambitions, including competing to win Men’s World Cups.”
Batson added that the ultimate aim is to make football the most played sport in every American community.
Building a trusted culture
The 54-year-old tactician was originally appointed in September 2024 following a disappointing group-stage exit at the Copa America.
Despite enduring some initial inconsistent results, the former Chelsea and Tottenham boss successfully guided the Americans to the last 16 of the 2026 tournament.
U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone praised the transformative impact the manager has had on the squad’s mentality.
“Mauricio has built a culture where players trust the group, trust the process and trust each other.”
Cone emphasised that this strong internal culture is exactly what the federation wants to continue investing in for the future.
Unlocking American potential
The extended deal allows the coaching staff to further develop pathways for players and teams across the entire national federation.
Speaking on the announcement, the South American coach expressed his eagerness to continue building the programme.
“The passion we experienced from the fans throughout the World Cup only strengthened our belief in what is possible here.”
He concluded by noting the tremendous potential to make the men’s national team even stronger on the global stage.
Mounting pressure on FIFA president Gianni Infantino has sparked intense speculation regarding his future, with potential successors already emerging to lead world football’s governing body.
The 54-year-old has faced increasing scrutiny following a highly controversial World Cup commercial rights proposal.
His departure is now widely considered to be a matter of time by senior administrative figures within the sport.
Early frontrunners emerge for presidency
Victor Montagliani, the current president of CONCACAF, is viewed as the leading candidate to take charge.
The 60-year-old Canadian could face competition from FIFA general secretary Mattias Granstrom and Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa.
Sheikh Salman previously ran against the incumbent leader during the 2016 election, suffering a narrow defeat.
A legacy of controversy
The Swiss-Italian administrator originally assumed office in February 2016 after replacing Sepp Blatter.
Former Football Association chairman Greg Dyke praised the incoming leader at the time of his initial election.
“He is not a politician and he is not an ego. He is the type of person who will just get on with the job.”
However, critics argue the current regime has ultimately mirrored the autocratic style of previous administrations.
Calls for a footballing figurehead
There is a growing movement suggesting the organisation should move away from career administrators in favour of a former player acting as a figurehead.
The current president did establish the FIFA Legends scheme to integrate renowned former professionals into promotional activities.
However, previous attempts to install ex-players in global governance roles have yielded mixed results.
Michel Platini’s tenure as UEFA president famously ended in scandal, highlighting the potential risks of appointing high-profile sporting figures to complex executive roles.
Scottish champions Celtic will face Austrian counterparts LASK in the Champions League play-off round, with the vital first leg taking place in Glasgow on 18 or 19 August.
The return fixture will be played in Austria the following week as the Glasgow giants look to secure their spot in Europe’s elite club competition.
Having been seeded for the crucial draw, the Premiership title holders avoided several potentially tricky ties against opponents from Norway, Slovenia, and Denmark.
Rangers and Hearts face complex European routes
Elsewhere, four other Scottish clubs are closely monitoring the upcoming Europa League and Europa Conference League play-off draws.
If Rangers can overcome Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok in their third-round qualifier, they could face Norwegian outfit Lillestrom or the winners of Larne and Iberia 1999.
Defeat for the Ibrox side would drop them into the Conference League play-offs, opening up a raft of potential opponents including Czech club Jablonec or Croatia’s Hajduk Split.
Meanwhile, Heart of Midlothian face a demanding clash against Portuguese heavyweights Benfica following their elimination from Champions League qualification.
Motherwell and Hibernian await formidable opponents
Should the Edinburgh club brilliantly progress past Benfica, they could meet Greek side OFI Crete, while Motherwell face a similar path if they defeat Finland’s HJK Helsinki.
A loss for either side could result in glamorous Conference League ties against Serie A club Atalanta or Bundesliga representatives Freiburg.
Across the capital, Hibernian must conquer Macedonian side Shkendija to keep their European dreams alive.
Success for the Easter Road outfit could earn them a blockbuster fixture against Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion or French giants Monaco.
Former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis has questioned whether Anthony Joshua should continue fighting after surviving two knockdowns against Kristian Prenga last month.
The British superstar returned to action recently in his first bout since walking away from a devastating car crash that killed two of his best friends last Christmas.
Despite being dropped twice in a disastrous opening round, the resilient heavyweight recovered to stop his Albanian opponent in the second.
That dramatic comeback victory successfully set up a long-awaited domestic showdown against bitter rival Tyson Fury.
Lewis questions ring readiness
However, boxing legend Lewis harbours serious concerns about the current capabilities of the two-time world champion.
“Does he really belong in the ring right now?”
The 59-year-old told The Ring magazine that such a shaky performance against a heavy underdog raises significant red flags.
“A virtual novice put him on the ground twice in the first round.”
“Is that it, have we seen the last of him? It’s not like he’s his old self.”
Fury holds the upper hand
On the night before Joshua’s chaotic win, his upcoming opponent stopped Mariusz Wach in a far more routine warm-up fight.
Contracts for an all-British super-fight were signed earlier this year, although fans are still waiting for a confirmed date and venue.
Lewis believes the self-styled Gypsy King is now firmly in pole position to win a blockbuster contest that has been a decade in the making.
“I think Fury boxes to the level of his opposition.”
“He’s trying to keep sharp for Joshua, the right thing to do, and needed to have a tick-over fight.”
Financial motives drive belated clash
While the bout promises massive commercial success, the former undisputed heavyweight king feels the sporting prime of both men has passed.
He suggested that financial gains are now the primary catalyst for finalizing the legacy-defining matchup.
“Fury is closer but both are shadows of their former selves.”
Despite acknowledging their respective declines, Lewis fundamentally backs the undefeated lineal champion to emerge victorious.
“He boxed a YouTuber, now boxed a guy who knocked him down twice and next faces Fury? That’s a big step up.”