One swallow allegedly does not make a summer. One football match does not make club owners rush out and spend millions of pounds on new players… or does it? You may think the people who run the team you support are professional, sensible and rational. They don’t read social media, they don’t run a business…
Shirt numbers — they shouldn’t matter that much, but they do. From new signings taking iconic numbers to youngsters being given their first jersey for the senior team, there are always notable changes before a new season. Here, The Athletic’s Premier League writers analyse how shirt numbers have changed at your club, and their significance….
If you thought there has been an increase in Premier League-to-Premier League transfers, you could be forgiven. This summer, there have been numerous Premier League players who have moved clubs within England’s top flight, but the sense that intra-Premier League transfers are increasing is only a fallacy. At the time of writing, these moves have…
The summer can be a strange time for football fans. Showing my age here but, except in a major tournament year, summers used to be largely football-free from late May until the second half of August. You would pick up a newspaper in the UK and struggle to find much football coverage as sports such…
The first videos and photos have dropped on social media. Bleep tests are being sweatily run. Pre-season has begun at most clubs across the Premier League. But the group of players taking part in testing on day one of pre-season at each of the division’s 20 teams are not always the same ones that pull…
By SIMON JONES and YASEEN ZAMAN Published: 19:17 BST, 4 July 2025 | Updated: 23:09 BST, 4 July 2025 Kyle Walker is poised to join Burnley from Manchester City in a surprise move worth up to £5million. The 35-year old England international has agreed to team up once again with Burnley boss Scott Parker whom…
Last year, Chelsea entered into a hefty deal with two days of their 2023-24 accounting period remaining. For £200million ($274m), Chelsea FC Holdings, the company which houses the club’s operations, sold Chelsea Football Club Women Limited (CFCW) to Blueco 22 Midco Limited, a fellow subsidiary of Blueco 22 Limited, the club’s parent company. In doing…
Being successful in the transfer market isn’t all about putting your money where your mouth is — you also need to be a dab hand at selling a player or two. Perhaps more crucial than ever before in the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) era, generating funds from player trading can go a…
We might only just be coming around to the end of the first week of the transfer window, but already fans of clubs — and managers — will be desperate to see business being done. But which position does each Premier League side need to prioritise this window? Where, if necessary, should the bulk of…
Jor Dropping Brazilian giants Flamengo will be hoping Jorginho haunts his old side, Chelsea, when the two meet at the Club World Cup tonight. The 33-year-old Italy international returned to the country of his birth following his release from Arsenal. His move to Flamengo ended a 15-year stint in European football; however, the midfielder is…