Football transfer news

The Premier League is already back. That didn’t take long, did it?

The summer has been dominated by international tournaments, drawn out transfer sagas and skipped training sessions, but we can finally bin all that faux camaraderie felt during the Euros, Copa America and the Olympics and start arguing with each other over club rivalries instead.

Manchester City are once again the defending champions and begin their campaign with a trip to Tottenham on Sunday, though the curtain raiser comes on Friday night when newly promoted Brentford host Arsenal.

Excited? Thought so. Here is 90min’s preview and predictions for the opening weekend of the 2021/22 Premier League season.

Brentford vs Arsenal

What time is kick off? 20:00 (BST)
Where is it being played? Brentford Community Stadium
TV channel? Sky Sports Main Event/Sky Sports Premier League (UK), fuboTV (US)

This really is a brilliant fixture to open up the season.

Brentford finally made the jump out of the Championship to reach the Premier League last season, going up via the play-offs. Ivan Toney has been scoring goals for fun in the second tier and now has the chance to test himself against an Arsenal side who can be calamitous in defence, even if they did have the third best defence last year.

Ben White is expected to slot straight in at centre back, but aside from that it’s a pretty similar Gunners outfit. A win on Friday night would ease some of the pressure on Mikel Arteta, but it might not be so straightforward.

Prediction: Brentford 1-1 Arsenal

Manchester United vs Leeds

What time is kick off? 12:30 (BST)
Where is it being played? Old Trafford
TV channel? BT Sport 1 (UK), fuboTV (US)

This is an absolute whopper to kick Saturday’s action off, if it’s anything like last season’s corresponding fixture anyway.

Manchester United thrashed Leeds 6-2 that day, though the return at Elland Road ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

Red Devils manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been backed this summer with the signings of Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane – though the latter still needs to be officially completed – and big things are expected after three seasons of gradual progression.

Leeds will play the game at their own rigorous pace, with forwards like Raphinha and Jack Harrison more than capable of hurting their hosts, but United should start their campaign with a win.

Prediction: Manchester United 3-1 Leeds

Burnley vs Brighton

What time is kick off? 15:00 (BST)
Where is it being played? Turf Moor

That seventh place finish aside, Burnley have mostly occupied positions in the bottom third of the Premier League during their time in the top flight. 17th last season was too close for comfort for Sean Dyche, but the squad will largely be the same bar the arrival of Nathan Collins at centre back.

Their resident evil strikers Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes will continue to make dents in defences in their own unique way, something which Brighton will need to pay attention to.

The Seagulls have lost Ben White to Arsenal for £50m but have plenty of options to fill their three man defence. However, it’s up front where changes really need to be made.

All too often last season Graham Potter’s outfit wasted golden opportunities in front of goal, and with Neal Maupay and Aaron Connolly hardly the most clinical of strikers, they may struggle to score at Turf Moor.

Prediction: Burnley 1-0 Brighton

Chelsea vs Crystal Palace

What time is kick off? 15:00 (BST)
Where is it being played? Stamford Bridge

There’s plenty of buzz around Stamford Bridge right now.

Thomas Tuchel can do no wrong as Chelsea manager, following up their Champions League triumph with another success in the Super Cup earlier this week. Add to that the signing of Romelu Lukaku from Inter and Blues fans have every reason to be excited.

They’re definitely one of the favourites for the Premier League, but while things look promising for Chelsea, it’s tough to know what to expect from Crystal Palace.

It’s been a summer of major upheaval at Selhurst Park, and while exciting business has been done by the Eagles, it remains to be seen how well the new players will gel together under new boss Patrick Vieira. Regardless, Chelsea should win comfortably.

Prediction: Chelsea 2-0 Crystal Palace

Everton vs Southampton

What time is kick off? 15:00 (BST)
Where is it being played? Goodison Park

Rafa Benitez should get an interesting reception at Goodison Park when he takes charge of a competitive Everton game for the first time.

His old ties with Liverpool won’t be forgotten quickly, though he hasn’t been given a particularly high standard to improve upon by predecessor Carlo Ancelotti. The Toffees slumped to tenth after a promising start when they were even talked up in some corners as potential title challengers.

A win on the opening weekend shouldn’t result in any more grand predictions like the above, but they should get all three points against Southampton. With Danny Ings gone there is a worrying lack of goals in their side. Will Che Adams and Nathan Tella step up this season? The Saints’ Premier League future may depend on it.

Prediction: Everton 1-0 Southampton

Leicester vs Wolves

What time is kick off? 15:00 (BST)
Where is it being played? King Power Stadium

Everyone loves Leicester these days. They get smart business done nice and early in the transfer window and are always well compensated if they end up losing a star player.

They’re a little short at centre back with major injuries suffered by Jonny Evans and Wesley Fofana, though Jannik Vestergaard is expected to be brought in to join summer signings like Patson Daka, Boubakary Soumare and Ryan Bertrand.

On Saturday they face a Wolves side beginning life under new manager Bruno Lage. The Wanderers went a little stale last season after the departure of Diogo Jota and the injury suffered by Raul Jimenez left young Fabio Silva with too much responsibility up front.

Wolves won’t be boring this season. In truth, they could be brilliant or downright awful, but they’ll likely be defeated here by a Leicester side further along in their progression than the West Midlanders.

Prediction: Leicester 2-0 Wolves

Watford vs Aston Villa

What time is kick off? 15:00 (BST)
Where is it being played? Vicarage Road

Last season’s Championship runners-up Watford are aiming to improve on their last Premier League stint, where they lasted four campaigns before their relegation. They jumped back up at the first time of asking, but have been given a tough assignment for their return.

Villa may have lost Jack Grealish to Manchester City, but in Emiliano Buendia, Leon Bailey and Danny Ings they’ve recruited some top talent to help share the goalscoring and creative burdens around the squad.

How they’ll all mesh together is still a little uncertain and there remain question marks remain over some of their defenders, but they should come away from Vicarage Road with all three points.

Prediction: Watford 1-2 Aston Villa

Norwich vs Liverpool

What time is kick off? 17:30 (BST)
Where is it being played? Carrow Road
TV channel? Sky Sports Main Event/Sky Sports Premier League (UK), fuboTV (US)

Norwich have been a yo-yo side for a while now, and to the casual viewer it doesn’t look like they’ve recruited well enough in the summer to avoid another quick drop back down to the Championship.

They’ve been given a tough opening assignment to deal with, too. Liverpool were hamstrung by persistent and season-ending injuries to a number of their first team squad last term. Whether Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez have built up enough fitness to feature on Saturday is uncertain, but the fearsome front three of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane remain.

The last time the Canaries returned to the Premier League they were beaten 4-1 by Liverpool, and it may be a similarly convincing display from the Reds here.

Prediction: Norwich 0-3 Liverpool

Newcastle vs West Ham

What time is kick off? 14:00 (BST)
Where is it being played? St James’ Park
TV channel? Sky Sports Main Event/Sky Sports Premier League (UK), fuboTV (US)

West Ham were last season’s surprise package, finishing sixth and earning a spot in the Europa League. They haven’t recruited hugely, just nabbing Alphonse Areola on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, but there should be some more incomings towards the end of the transfer window.

The spine of their impressive squad from last term remains – bar Jesse Lingard who returned to Manchester United after his loan – and a trip to Newcastle looks promising.

The Magpies’ transfer window has been pretty disappointing, though Joe Willock has all but officially rejoined the club, this time on a permanent deal.

Their prospects may be brighter if Allan Saint-Maximin is available more often, but the Hammers may take the spoils in this one.

Prediction: Newcastle 1-2 West Ham

Tottenham vs Manchester City

What time is kick off? 16:30 (UK)
Where is it being played? Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
TV channel? Sky Sports Main Event/Sky Sports Premier League (UK), fuboTV (US)

City get their title defence underway at Spurs with a number of fitness concerns over their international stars. Not that it makes too much of a difference though, given their ridiculous squad depth.

It has taken Pep Guardiola’s side a few weeks to get up and running in previous seasons, which could help Nuno Espirito Santo’s new Tottenham side.

Whether Harry Kane will play is still up in the air. The England captain wants a move to City but has returned to Spurs training in time to be available for the game.

Nuno has enjoyed victories against Guardiola in the past, but City should leave north London with the victory on Sunday.

Prediction: Tottenham 1-2 Manchester City

For more from Jude Summerfield, follow him on Twitter!

With the nightmare that was the 2020/21 season over, Liverpool will get their pursuit of a better 2021/22 underway with a trip to Carrow Road to face Norwich City.

It’s a rematch of the opening weekend two years back, which saw Jurgen Klopp’s men romp to a 4-1 victory, and the Reds will be expecting a similar scoreline in the hope of sending a statement to the rest of the league.

Here’s how the boss could set up.

Alisson (GK) – With a new contract under his belt, Alisson will hope to keep the good times rolling into the new season.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (RB) – Alexander-Arnold has confirmed he is feeling good after missing the Euros through injury. He’ll feel as though he has a point to prove this year, and that sounds like good news for Liverpool.

Virgil van Dijk (CB) – Finally.

Ibrahima Konate (CB) – Konate has already been winning over fans in pre-season and could quickly blossom into an Anfield favourite. His partnership with Van Dijk has all the tools to be very stingy.

Kostas Tsimikas (LB) – Andy Robertson is still dealing with an ankle injury, so Tsimikas will earn his first league start and add to the six minutes of Premier League action he has racked up in his Liverpool career so far.

Fabinho (CM) – Another member of the new contract brigade, Fabinho received a call-up to the Brazil squad on Friday and will be riding that wave heading into this game.

Naby Keita (CM) – With both Thiago and Jordan Henderson still lacking fitness because of truncated pre-seasons, expect Klopp to turn to Keita for this one.

James Milner (CM) – There’s no Curtis Jones because of a concussion, so veteran Milner will likely take the final spot in Liverpool’s midfield.

Mohamed Salah (RW) – Salah bagged a goal and an assist when these two sides met in 2019 and he’ll be planning to do something similar this time around.

Roberto Firmino (ST) – Firmino’s short pre-season means he could end up being dropped for Diogo Jota, but the Brazilian seems fit enough to start this one.

Sadio Mane (LW) – Finishing off the terrifying trio is Mane, who is looking to rediscover his form in front of goal after an underwhelming season in 2020/21.

With four goals and four assists in 17 appearances, Cade Cowell has made an incredible start to the 2021 MLS campaign for the San Jose Earthquakes, but the teenager wants more.

At just 17 years old, Cowell is already being tipped to follow many of his fellow American youngsters in securing a move to Europe – a path walked by the likes of Tanner Tessmann, Gianluca Busio and Sam Vines this summer alone.

Most players his age would likely be thrilled at a return of eight direct goal involvements by this stage of the season, but Cowell – who has earned a place in this season’s MLS All-Star side – has already set higher standards for himself.

“I would say I’m doing well but I’m not satisfied,” the United States youth international told reporters. “I feel I could do a lot more; have more goals, have more assists, have better stats. But I’m not doing bad also. I’m at a medium level. I’m hoping to finish the season a lot better.”

Perhaps finding a consistent position in which to thrive for the Quakes would help Cowell achieve the sorts of numbers he’s looking for.

Such is his speed and strength, Cowell has been utilised as a central striker, winger and attacking midfielder by Matias Almeyda so far this season. But when asked by reporters which position he prefers playing in, the California native revealed he is yet to work that out for himself.

“Yeah, it’s a good question. I really don’t know what I’ll be in the future, whether that’s a 9, 7 or 11,” Cowell responded. “I really enjoy playing all three right now and whatever Matias wants me to be up top, I’ll play whatever he wants.

“So, I’m trying to learn every position and play them the best way I can, and whatever he needs from me, that’s what I’ll play.”

The Quakes beat California rivals LAFC 2-1 in their last match to move to within two points of the MLS Cup playoff spots in the Western Conference. Almeyda’s side host the Vancouver Whitecaps and Minnesota United before a Cali Clasico clash with the LA Galaxy on August 21.

Newcastle have confirmed the signing of Joe Willock from Arsenal, with the midfielder signing a six-year deal with the club.

Willock impressed while on loan with the Magpies last season, scoring eight Premier League goals – seven of which were in consecutive games – as Steve Bruce’s side finished the campaign in 12th.

90min reported earlier in August that a deal had been agreed between Newcastle and Arsenal for Willock, having been told he could leave permanently by the Gunners. A transfer worth up to £25m including add-ons was agreed and the 21-year-old has now officially put pen to paper on the deal.

It’s time…

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— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) August 13, 2021

“I’m buzzing to be here,” Willock told Newcastle’s website. “I loved my time here last season and I’m really happy to be back and to be a Newcastle United player.

“Leaving Arsenal is obviously a big step, and I’d like to thank everyone involved with the club for all their support over the years, but this is the right move to the right club at the right time for me.

“I only got one chance to play in front of a smaller number of Newcastle fans as a home player last season, so I can’t wait to step out in front of a packed St. James’ Park and experience that atmosphere.

Newcastle head coach Steve Bruce added: “I’m absolutely delighted to secure our number one target.

“We have had to be patient and persistent, but it has been worth the wait to bring Joe back.

“I want to thank Lee Charnley in particular for the work he has put in to make the deal happen. The club have gone above and beyond to make it possible.

“Joe is a wonderful young player with all the attributes you want in a midfielder, and he certainly proved that during his time with us last season.

“This is a move I know our supporters really wanted us to make, and I know they will join me in giving Joe a very warm welcome back to St. James’ Park.”

For more from Jude Summerfield, follow him on Twitter!

Manchester United kick off their 2021/22 Premier League campaign with a visit from old rivals Leeds United on Saturday.

Thanks to some smart transfer business, hopes are pretty high at Old Trafford heading into the new season and the Red Devils’ meeting with Marcelo Bielsa’s side is one of the standout fixtures of gameweek one.

Here is how United should line-up for their Premier League curtain jerker…

David de Gea (GK) – United’s goalkeeping situation remains pretty messy with both De Gea and Dean Henderson desperate for the number one jersey. For now, we expect the club’s highest earner to keep his place between the sticks.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka (RB) – This is a big season for Wan-Bissaka. United’s interest in Kieran Trippier suggests the club are not entirely convinced by the defender. He needs to prove his doubters wrong.

Victor Lindelof (CB) – In the long term, Lindelof will be displaced by new arrival Raphael Varane. However, due to the infuriating delay in his registration, the Swede will continue at centre-back.

Harry Maguire (CB) – Maguire is always one of the first names on the team sheet for Solskjaer. United missed him desperately at the end of last season and his return is very welcome.

Luke Shaw (LB) – Shaw’s impressive Euro 2020 capped off a career-best season. He could get even better this term too.

Fred (CM) – He has his detractors but with United neglecting to sign a midfielder this summer, Fred will continue to feature prominently. He will be tested by Leeds’ intense press on Saturday.

Scott McTominay (CM) – Much like Fred, not everyone is convinced by McTominay and to be fair, he probably is not an elite-level midfielder. However, United’s lack of transfer activity means he will play a lot of minutes.

Bruno Fernandes (AM) – Fernandes will be key to United’s fortunes. Leading the team for goals and assists last season, losing him for any period of time could deal a fatal blow to their slim Premier League title hopes.

Mason Greenwood (RW) – With Marcus Rashford recovering from shoulder surgery and Jadon Sancho not quite up to speed, Greenwood should be afforded a chance to impress at the start of the season.

Anthony Martial (ST) – Martial had a disappointing season last time out, scoring just four Premier League goals. If he does not improve expect him to be sold next summer.

Paul Pogba (LW) – Pogba impressed for France at Euro 2020, kick-starting the ‘why can’t he do it for United?’ discourse all over again. His future remains uncertain, but he should start against Leeds.