Premier League Football - Latest news, results, stats & transfers - BBC Sport (2024)

Simon Stone in Los Angeles
Chief football news reporter

Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber is determined to take the positives out of his injury-wrecked debut campaign for the Gunners.

The 23-year-old Netherlands international was one of the stars of last pre-season for Arsenal, when he looked to have been earmarked for the inverted right-back role by manager Mikel Arteta.

But those hopes collapsed when Timber ruptured his cruciate ligaments in the opening Premier League game of the season.

Timber did not return until the final match against Everton, when he came on for the last 21 minutes.

The £34m signing from Ajax did have some low moments, but he is refusing to dwell on them as he approaches his second campaign as an Arsenal player.

"It was a big blow, and at the start it was huge," said Timber, speaking at the start of the Gunners' three-game pre-season tour of the United States.

"It's never fun to be injured but I tried to look at it in a positive way. Time goes quickly. I worked with some fantastic physios and have good people around me who made me feel great and in the end I came out well."

Rather than beat himself up by the thought he was stuck in the gym doing recovery work while his team-mates were trying to wrestle the Premier League title away from Manchester City, Timber used it as motivation.

"It's not that hard when you see how they were performing last year," he said. "It gets you motivated to join them and to help them."

Arsenal play Bournemouth at LA Galaxy's 27,000-capacity stadium at 03:30 BST on Thursday.

Simon Stone in Los Angeles
Chief football news reporter

Former Liverpool chief executive Peter Moore feels the new Anfield hierarchy already have some big decisions to make.

The return of Michael Edwards as chief executive of football, plus the arrival of highly rated Richard Hughes from Bournemouth as technical director, has raised hopes the exit of Jurgen Klopp will allow Liverpool to avoid the tailspin Arsenal and Manchester United went into when their long-serving managers left their respective clubs.

Yet Moore, whose three years at Anfield working with Jurgen Klopp included a Champions League success and the Premier League title, can see major issues, not least that star striker Mo Salah, skipper Virgil van Dijk and England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold are all entering the final year of their respective contracts.

"That is why they get the big bucks," Moore told BBC Sport from his home in Santa Barbara.

"Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes, plus the heads of recruitment and scouting, will be liaising with (the ownership in) Boston and working on what is needed.

"The Profit and Sustainability calibration might mean some clubs have to sell.

"Arne Slot will be in contact but he is not the manager, he is the head coach.

"He has to focus on what he has got, not what might be coming in."

Simon Stone in Los Angeles
Chief football news reporter

Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu is a major doubt for the start of the season.

The 25-year-old Japan international was due to be part of the Gunners squad that travelled to the United States for their three-match tour.

Sadly, he suffered a knee injury just before departure.

Arsenal are still waiting to discover the full extent of the problem but sources have indicated Tomiyasu will not be fit for the opening Premier League game at home to Wolves on 17 August.

"It's unbelievable," said Arteta. "It happened this week.

"The kid works so hard but he had an incident in training.

"We don't know the extent yet but we kept him there for precaution and we'll see what happens."

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says the club are trying to strengthen "certain positions" as they close in on the signing of Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori.

Speaking in Los Angeles at the start of Arsenal's three-match tour of the United States, Arteta told reporters there was "no update" on a deal for the 22-year-old Bologna man, who is valued at about £34m.

However, sources have said talks are progressing well and are expected to reach a positive conclusion.

Arsenal are also looking to strengthen in central midfield as they try to do better than the past two campaigns, when they have finished second to Manchester City.

"We have to," said the Gunners boss, when asked if his side have to improve despite two almost flawless seasons. "When you are so close you want to grab it.

"Perfection in this league requires different standards when you relate that word to winning the Premier League and that is what we have to do.

"There is still a lot of time left in the window and while that is more a question for the board, obviously we know there are certain positions that we want to improve and give the squad better resources in terms of numbers but the main thing is to focus on falling in love with the players we have."

Arsenal’s players are returning for pre-season in stages.

They will have returned to London after matches against Bournemouth, Manchester United and Liverpool before others, including Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, link up given their Euro 2024 campaign with England did not end until 14 July.

One of the tournament’s abiding memories was Saka scoring in the penalty shootout victory over Switzerland in the quarter-finals, banishing the memories of his failure in the previous tournament’s final defeat by Italy.

"I was very nervous," said Arteta. "What happened a few years ago plays back in your mind but he showed a lot of guts and determination and composure to take it the way he did.

"Bukayo’s role is constantly growing and evolving, he is a super important player for us and one of the main players for the national team."

Simon Stone in California
Chief football news reporter

Former Liverpool chief executive Peter Moore has been speaking about Arne Slot's arrival as replacement for Jurgen Klopp.

Moore spent just over three years with the Merseyside club, coinciding with their Champions League and Premier League triumphs under Klopp.

Now Slot has to pick up the baton.

Moore knows the task is not easy. And the fact so many Liverpool players will miss the bulk of pre-season following deep runs into Euro 2024 and Copa America makes it even harder.

"We have been blessed to have nine years of Jurgen Klopp," said Moore, who now lives in California and is putting his energies into the Santa Barbara Sky football outfit that launches in the United Soccer League in 2025.

"This is a hard reset. Control, Alt, Delete.

"Who would want to step into Klopp’s shoes?

"Someone has to and Slot, from everything I hear, is capable of hitting the ground running, winning over the fans, which you have to do at Liverpool.

"But there are issues. There are three key players going into the final year of their contract (Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold). That has to be done.

"And his biggest problems is that so many players are not coming over due to the Euros and Copa America. It will only be when he gets back that he sees what his squad really looks like."

Dan George
BBC Sport

Southampton manager Russell Martin is hoping to "surprise some people" this season as he prepares to take charge of a top-flight side for the first time in his career.

The former Norwich defender led the Saints into the Premier League through the Championship play-offs back in May.

Now he is ready to test his football philosophy against the best sides in English football.

"It is illogical to me that we would get to the Premier League and, through fear or lack of belief, we would then do something else," Martin told BBC Sport.

"There are going to be games when we play against amazing opposition and maybe look a bit different, but we won't go away to Manchester City or Liverpool and set up to camp. We just won't do it.

"We have to accept sometimes we will get beaten, but then at other times we will have beautiful moments, games and results that people don't expect.

"Maybe we will surprise some people."

Southampton open up against Newcastle United at St James' Park on Saturday, 17 August.

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Every day it seems there are new rumours about players who might be joining West Ham.

England defender Fikayo Tomori, who is currently at AC Milan, Leeds' Crysencio Summerville and Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran are the latest.

West Ham are in the uncomfortable position of having money to spend and their priorities - forwards and central defence - being obvious.

Technical director Tim Steidten is busily working his way though the targets to see what deals can be done. Inevitably that means a lot of calls - and a lot of links.

West Ham's non-Euros and Copa America players have flown into Florida for the start of a two-week camp that includes games against Crystal Palace and Wolves.

Meanwhile the rumours will continue until a deal is done.

Nick Mash*ter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Ipswich Town have had several bids rejected by Blackburn Rovers for Republic of Ireland forward Sammie Szmodics.

The Tractor Boys remain in talks with Rovers over last season's Championship top scorer and an agreement is getting closer.

The 28-year-old has been open about his desire to play in the Premier League after scoring 33 times in 2023-24, including 27 in the league.

Szmodics' goals kept Blackburn in the Championship as they finished 19th, three points above the relegation zone.

He signed a new deal until 2026 in November, leaving Blackburn in a strong bargaining position.

Galatasaray have also been interested in the former Peterborough United and Bristol City forward, who made his debut for his country against Belgium in March.

Ipswich are preparing for their first season in the Premier League since 2001-02 and have signed striker Liam Delap in a £20m deal from Manchester City.

They have also brought in Omari Hutchinson, Ben Johnson and Jacob Greaves, although Kieran McKenna's side missed out on Jaden Philogene, who re-joined Aston Villa despite Ipswich agreeing a fee with Hull City.

Chelsea have completed the signing of defender Caleb Wiley from Atlanta United.

The 19-year-old has joined on a six-year deal for a fee of about £8.5m, with a club option of a further year.

Wiley came through the Major League Soccer side's academy before making his senior debut in 2022 and has gone on to feature 85 times, scoring six goals and providing seven assists.

He is with the United States in France as they prepare for the Paris Olympics.

It is expected that the teenager will go on loan to Strasbourg, the French top-flight side with the same BlueCo ownership group as Chelsea.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos is expected to return to sister club Strasbourg on loan this season.

The clubs, both owned by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital's parent company BlueCo, have been in talks about the 20-year-old.

Santos is believed to be open to returning to the French top-flight club where he excelled in the second half of 2023-24.

However, the one-cap Brazil international is expected to wait until after Chelsea's pre-season tour of the United States and train under new manager Enzo Maresca for a few more weeks.

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter in Santa Barbara

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola is cursing his bad luck after defender Owen Bevan joined a growing injury list.

Bevan hurt his thigh in the opening stages of the 1-1 friendly draw with Wrexham in Santa Barbara.

Iraola said it was too soon to know whether it is the same injury that wrecked the Wales Under-21 international's planned loan move to Scottish Premiership side Hibernian last season.

But the Cherries boss expects Bevan to be out "for some weeks".

It means he joins Tyler Adams, Enes Unal and David Brooks on the sidelines in missing the start of the Premier League season.

Adams had surgery on his back after aggravating an existing injury during Copa America, Unal has had a foot operation after getting injured in training for Turkey before Euro 2024 and Brooks also needed an operation on the dislocated shoulder he suffered playing for Southampton in the Championship play-off final.

"We are unlucky because three players either got injured or their injuries have got worse without playing for us," said Iraola.

"Owen complained about discomfort in his quad. Until he has a proper MRI scan we cannot say much more but the feeling is he will be out some weeks."

In Bournemouth's opening pre-season game, in front of 13,322 at the Harder Stadium, Marcos Senesi's well-taken second-half effort ensured a draw after James Hill's own goal at the end of the opening period.

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