FOOTBALL

Premier League Gambling Shirt Ban Reshapes Sponsorship Market

Premier League clubs and shirt sponsors
Thursday

Premier League clubs are entering the new season without gambling companies on the front of shirts after voluntarily banning the category. Eight clubs needed replacement sponsors this summer, while Nottingham Forest, Sunderland and Chelsea still lacked front-of-shirt deals in the report.

The ban is pushing clubs toward technology, finance, insurance, tourism and recruitment brands, although gambling companies can still appear elsewhere on apparel. The shift particularly affects clubs outside the traditional Big Six, which previously relied heavily on betting-sector sponsorship revenue.

Couhaib Driouech Arrives At Rangers Ahead Of Move

Rangers, PSV Eindhoven and Couhaib Driouech
Thursday

PSV Eindhoven winger Couhaib Driouech was at Ibrox as Rangers faced Jagiellonia Bialystok, with the Morocco Under-23 international expected to complete his transfer on Friday. The 24-year-old produced nine goals and eight assists across 40 appearances last season.

Driouech would become Rangers’ tenth summer signing and their second new winger after Daisuke Yokota. His arrival adds pace and two-sided width to a squad that chairman Andrew Cavenagh said could still receive another three to five additions.

PSG Agree €50m Ferran Torres Deal In Principle

Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Ferran Torres
Thursday

Paris Saint-Germain have agreed a deal in principle to sign Barcelona forward Ferran Torres for around €50m, roughly £42.7m. The Spain international was permitted to miss Barcelona training while finalising the proposed move to the French champions.

Torres enters the transfer after scoring 21 goals in 49 Barcelona appearances last season and the World Cup winner for Spain. PSG now need to complete the remaining formalities before adding him to Luis Enrique’s attack for the new campaign.

Real Madrid Sell Jacobo Ortega To Strasbourg

Real Madrid, Strasbourg and Jacobo Ortega
Thursday

Real Madrid have sold academy striker Jacobo Ortega to Strasbourg for €10m despite the youngster never playing a first-team minute. The deal is described as Madrid’s biggest sale for an academy player departing without representing the senior side.

Strasbourg initially offered €8m for half of Ortega’s rights before Madrid negotiated €10m for 70%. Madrid retain future control clauses after the forward scored 18 goals during the second half of last season for the club’s youth setup.

Enes Unal Leaves Bournemouth For Getafe Return

Bournemouth, Getafe and Enes Unal
Thursday

Bournemouth striker Enes Unal has rejoined Getafe on a free transfer after an injury-hit spell in England. The 29-year-old Turkey international leaves after 58 Bournemouth appearances and five goals, having originally arrived from Getafe in January 2024.

Bournemouth could receive up to £1.3m in bonuses and retain a 20% share of any future sale. Moving Unal also helps reduce the club’s wage bill as it approaches the end of its summer transfer business.

Arsenal Invite Offers For Ethan Nwaneri

Arsenal and Ethan Nwaneri
Thursday

Arsenal are inviting offers for 19-year-old Ethan Nwaneri as sporting director Andrea Berta works to generate player sales. AC Milan, Fulham, RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund are among the European clubs interested in the England Under-21 attacking midfielder.

Nwaneri is one of several Arsenal players available this summer as the champions balance heavy recruitment with outgoing business. Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson are also among players whose futures remain open before the deadline.

Amorim Places Nkunku And Tomori On Milan Sell List

AC Milan and Ruben Amorim
Thursday

AC Milan manager Ruben Amorim has reportedly placed Christopher Nkunku, Fikayo Tomori, Youssouf Fofana and David Odogu on a list of players who can leave. The decision followed preseason assessments and discussions with owner Gerry Cardinale at Milanello.

Rafael Leao and Santiago Gimenez could also be sold if Milan receive acceptable offers, while Pervis Estupinan’s position is uncertain. The proposed clear-out signals a substantial squad reshaping before Amorim begins his first Serie A campaign with the club.

Infantino Support Splits As FAI Withdraws Backing

Gianni Infantino, the FAI, IFA and six Arab football federations
Thursday

The Football Association of Ireland has formally withdrawn its support for Gianni Infantino, while Northern Ireland’s IFA backed UEFA’s stance. Separately, Qatar, Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, Sudan and Mauritania issued a joint statement supporting the FIFA president.

The opposing declarations underline how Infantino’s election support is fragmenting after FIFA’s abandoned private-investment proposal. Ireland joins England and Wales in withdrawing backing, while the six Arab federations give Infantino an important bloc of support ahead of March’s election.

La Liga Introduces Tougher Anti Time-Wasting Rules

La Liga and Spain’s technical refereeing committee
Thursday

Spanish referees will use new measures against deliberate time-wasting, including delayed substitutions for players taking too long to leave and temporary exclusion procedures for suspected fake injuries. Goalkeeper time-wasting can also force an outfield team-mate off temporarily.

Officials can start a ten-second countdown when deliberate delaying is identified and apply the new sanctions after that point. Spain has separately rejected an optional rule that could punish players for covering their mouths while speaking to opponents.

Rooney And Goldbridge Launch Manchester United Disney+ Show

Wayne Rooney, Mark Goldbridge, The Overlap and Disney+
Thursday

Wayne Rooney will co-host a new Manchester United-focused programme with influencer Mark Goldbridge called Stick to United with Wayne Rooney. Disney+ has signed a distribution agreement covering 50 episodes of the new show and 40 Stick to Football episodes.

The project expands Gary Neville’s Overlap network after it bought Goldbridge’s YouTube channels for an undisclosed seven-figure sum earlier this year. Rooney will continue separate BBC and Match of the Day work while adding the new digital programme.