Man United v Fulham LIVE – Latest transfers as Spurs sign Wilson Odobert and team news ahead of 2024/25 Premier League season opener
The new Premier League season is upon us, with Manchester United hosting Fulham in Friday night’s opener and then the rest of the 20 top-flight teams in action across Saturday, Sunday and Monday night as 2024/25 kicks off in earnest. All 20 teams bar one – Liverpool – have made at least one transfer signing this summer so far, but more are certainly in the works with two weeks remaining before deadline day.
Ahead of the opening round of games we’re bringing you all the latest transfer news in one place, but also the latest team news for each game as managers pick their starting XIs, assess who has emerged from preseason in the best form and fitness and decide which tactics are likely to help them achieve their objectives, both for game one and the season as a whole.
Man United’s new double signing from Bayern Munich are both in the frame to feature tonight for a debut, while at Chelsea, Enzo Maresca has a huge squad to choose from – but appears to be struggling to find the right balance. Arne Slot is still assessing his original group at Anfield, while Mikel Arteta has so far opted for small alterations only as Arsenal try to close the gap to Man City – who themselves are just one in, one out in the transfer window.
Follow the build-up to the new season below with all the latest team news and transfer stories:
Premier League transfer rumours
Plenty of transfer rumours are persisting around the Premier League, with several teams needing to strengthen before the window closes at the end of the month.
Defending champions Man City are looking to recruit after losing Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid and Oscar Bobb to a leg fracture. Bruno Guimaraes has been linked with a move to Guardiola’s side, with other rumours suggesting that the Cityzens could also look to sign Crystal Palace’s Ebere Eze.
Arsenal continue to be frustrated in their pursuit of Real Sociedad’s Mikel Merino, while they continue to look for suitors for Eddie Nketiah, who is valued at around £30m.
Liverpool were another club frustrated by Real Sociedad, with top summer target Martin Zubimendi eventually turning down the chance to play at Anfield (for now anyway). The Reds have been linked with Valencia ‘keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, though that signing would be one for the future with the Georgian likely to be immediately loaned out.
Karl Matchett16 August 2024 11:30
Spurs complete signing of winger Wilson Odobert
Tottenham have completed the signing of Wilson Odobert from Burnley. The 19-year-old forward has agreed a contract until 2029 and will wear the number 28 shirt at Spurs.
Ange Postecoglou’s team moved for Odobert after an encouraging debut campaign in England. Odobert made 32 appearances and scored four goals for Burnley after a move from Troyes, but was unable to keep them in the Premier League.
The French winger will now swap the Clarets’ promotion bid in the Championship for life back in the top flight at Tottenham, who will also compete in the Europa League this season.
Reports suggest Spurs have paid around £25m for Odobert, following on from the arrivals of £60m Dominic Solanke, Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and the extension of Timo Werner’s loan.
Karl Matchett16 August 2024 11:16
Golden Boot contenders to beat Erling Haaland and latest odds ahead of 2024/25 Premier League season
The 2024/25 Premier League season gets underway on Friday night and while team honours and objectives are the overriding factors at play, the individual accolades of the campaign will once more be in the spotlight – with the Golden Boot usually an intriguing battle of form and fitness in attack.
Over the past two years, though, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland has run away with it – winning back-to-back awards after scoring 36 and then 27 league goals, five clear last year of his nearest rival, Cole Palmer.
Prior to the Norwegian’s arrival it was Mohamed Salah who was frequently in the running, winning or joint-winning on three occasions, though another summer of transfers, managerial changes and shifts in tactical trends means we could well see new candidates emerge across the next ten months.
Chris Wilson16 August 2024 11:00
Premier League 2024/25 predictions: Champions, top four, relegation, best signing, top scorer and more
Hold on to your hats once again everyone: the Premier League is back this weekend.
Liverpool will be an intriguing watch under new manager Arne Slot and a total of five clubs will take to the new season with a fresh look in the dugout, with Enzo Maresca at Chelsea, Julen Lopetegui at West Ham, Steve Cooper at Leicester City and Fabian Hurzeler at Brighton.
Maresca at Chelsea will be a fascinating watch and how will Erik ten Hag fare at Manchester United after being given a new contract? The journeys of the newly-promoted trio of Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton will be interesting, too.
Now, ahead of the opening game between Manchester United and Fulham on Friday night, our writers make their predictions for the next season:
Karl Matchett16 August 2024 10:45
Matthijs de Ligt signing is proof Erik ten Hag is all-in on his Dutch gamble
“Manchester is red,” read the message on a football club’s social-media account; though not from the Manchester club who play in red. It was a cheeky point made by Ajax, surveying Manchester United’s recruitment drive and the addition of two of their alumni, Matthis de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, on the same day. It means that, in the former Ajax manager Erik ten Hag’s reign, United have now spent around a quarter of a billion pounds on his Ajax players.
Not that all the proceeds have gone to Amsterdam: De Ligt and Mazraoui arrived from Bayern Munich, just as Andre Onana had taken the long route from the Netherlands, via a one-season stay at Internazionale. But Ajax cashed in to the tune of £56m for Lisandro Martinez and, ridiculously, £86m for Antony.
Chris Wilson16 August 2024 10:30
Premier League transfer rumours
Manchester United have been active in the market, having recently completed the signings of Bayern duo Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui. They continue to be linked with PSG’s Manuel Ugarte as a midfield target, as well as Burnley’s Sander Berge. Christian Eriksen is the latest player rumoured to be leaving the club.
Tottenham are fresh off completing the signing of Dominic Solanke and the sale of Emerson Royal, and they are another club that has been linked with Ebere Eze.
Newcastle will soon welcome back Sandro Tonali from his ban, though both Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon have been linked with moves away. The club recently had a fourth bid rejected for Marc Guehi, and have been linked with Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah and Noni Madueke.
Aston Villa have had a quieter window in terms of links, though there have been rumours that they want to hijack Atletico’s deal for Conor Gallagher. The club has also been pursuing Sporting winger Pedro Goncalves.
And the transfer merry-go-round at Chelsea continues, with the club linked to Joao Felix most recently. There are rumours that they have expressed an interest in signing Jadon Sancho, and they continue to be linked to Napoli’s Victor Osimhen.
Chris Wilson16 August 2024 10:15
Liverpool team news – Arne Slot faces media ahead of first match in charge
And here’s the Reds’ new boss on his approach with the squad, the availability for tomorrow and how he’s planning to get the best out of a couple of players:
“You don’t get points in preseason but the games are important to prepare for the Premier League. It’s not harder to prepare for a promoted team because we saw their games from last year and preseason. It’s true there’s positivity around a club like this but as people told me, every game is intense here and there are no easy games. That’s what we can expect tomorrow.
“As a manager you try to implement your playing style. We try to adjust where we can to improve the team a bit and that’s what gives me and my staff the energy. The players do the things we want and buy into it. How far are we along? Some have been in for 10 or 12 days but many things have stayed the same and we’re ready for the game tomorrow. If I’m here for five, six, seven years I’ll still give the same answer: there’s lots to improve.
“A position for a player is related to the team. You want to bring the best out of a player but first out of the team. Trent is known for playing right full-back and in the modern game a lot go into midfield. I saw him do that last season and in the middle at the Euros. It’s up to me where I think he can help the team the most.
“Darwin [Nunez] we bring as much as we can into scoring positions but every individual benefits from team performances. Not only him but others, they will score goals as we’ve seen in preseason. We scored even from smaller chances. We have to bring him, Diogo [Jota] and others into promising positions.”
Karl Matchett16 August 2024 10:00
Liverpool transfers – Arne Slot faces media ahead of first match in charge
Here’s Liverpool’s Arne Slot talking just now about transfers, before his first game in charge tomorrow:
“I’ve said many times, our squad is really strong and it’s not easy to find player who can help us. Zubimendi was one to be fair but he decided not to come so we go on with the ones we have. We’re in a good place and in the background [sporting director] Richard [Hughes] is trying to strengthen the squad as he can. He tried everything but the player decided not to come.
“The rest of the team (apart from Matip, Thiago and Adrian) stayed together and that’s a good thing. Jurgen left a good team and we’re building from there. Last season they won a trophy, this year won’t be easy but we’re looking forward to the challenge.
“I don’t think this is the place to talk about contracts but I can assure you they (Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk and Salah) are in the squad tomorrow.
“I don’t understand the argument if you don’t strengthen you’re weaker. The training ground you can help the team and players to improve – that’s what happened here recent years. Maybe you mean the clubs around you strengthen and become better but it’s not always true if you sign players you’re better. Every player needs perspective on playing time and sometimes the group energy goes down with many new additions.
“If we think we’ve found someone we’ll try and bring him in. The one we thought could help us said no but in the background Richard is trying to improve the team.
“Luis Diaz? His future is with us. I like a lot what I’ve seen in the last ten days, he’s had a big impact on Liverpool.”
Karl Matchett16 August 2024 09:46
Predicted line-ups
Manchester United XI: Onana, Dalot, Maguire, Pellistri, Martinez, Casemiro, Mainoo, Garnacho, McTominay, Rashford, Fernandes.
Fulham XI: Leno, Tete, Diop, Bassey, Robinson, Lukic, Pereira, Smith Rowe, Wilson, Muniz, Iwobi.
Chris Wilson16 August 2024 09:30
Team news
Tonight, Fulham play their first competitive match since losing Joao Palhinha to Bayern Munich. The Portuguese signed for a fee of around £45m, and Fulham responded by later signing Emile Smith Rowe for a club record fee of £27m plus add-ons.
Earlier in the window, the club brought back Ryan Sessegnon from Spurs, and added centre-back Jorge Cuenca from Villarreal. Both players, as well as Smith Rowe, are in contention to start tonight.
It remains to be seen who’ll start up front for the Cottagers, with Raul Jimenez in contention but Rodrigo Muniz expected to get the nod.
Expect to see plenty of the same faces we saw last season too, with Andreas Pereira, Adama Traore and Bernd Leno all keeping their places in the starting eleven.
Chris Wilson16 August 2024 09:15