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BBC Sport women’s football news reporterPublished5 minutes agoAston Villa have signed Norway international Mathilde Harviken from Juventus.The defender made almost 50 appearances for the Italian club after joining in January 2025 and featured in the Women's Champions League.She helped Juventus win the Serie A title and Coppa Italia during the 2024-25 season and the inaugural Serie A Women's Cup in 2025.Harviken began her career in Norway with FL Fart and Roa IL before joining Rosenborg in 2022, where she went on to make over 80 appearances."It's a really good opportunity to join a club with such a big history," said Harviken on her move to the Women's Super League."There are great facilities here and everything you need to perform and continue developing as a player."The 24-year-old made her senior Norway debut in 2022 after progressing through the youth ranks.She was part of the Norway squads at both the 2023 Women's World Cup and Euro 2025.Aston Villa's director of women's football Marisa Ewers said: "Mathilde is a player we've been tracking for over two years and we've been consistently impressed by her development."She has a lot of experience for her age and we believe she has all the attributes to make an impact here and continue developing."We're excited to see what she can bring to the team."Find interviews and extra content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feed

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It takes something special to earn the trust of Unai Emery, force your way into Thomas Tuchel's England plans and attract the interest of Europe's elite. Morgan Rogers has done all three and that is why Arsenal are looking to make him their latest statement signing.The 23-year-old has quickly risen from a promising young talent in the top-flight to a fully fledged England international with talismanic status at Villa Park.Rogers, signed in a deal worth £16m from Middlesbrough in 2024, was only out of the starting line-up for two games at Villa in the last two seasons but could now be leaving the club, with Europe's elite now circling.The queue to enquire about Rogers' services has been lengthy. Sky Sports News reported Chelsea, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich were among his other admirers alongside Arsenal - but it is the Premier League champions who have stepped up their interest in search of added firepower.Here, Sky Sports dives into why Arsenal want Rogers, where he will fit and what fans can expect if a deal does come to fruition.Arsenal are prioritising the signing of a left-winger this summer. Leandro Trossard has joined Besiktas and their other option in the role, Gabriel Martinelli, also faces an uncertain future at the Emirates.Eberechi Eze, a marquee £67.5m signing from Crystal Palace last summer, is capable of playing in the role but 24 of his 33 appearances for Arsenal have arrived in the No 10 position.Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke and Max Dowman have the right flank covered off - but if Arteta wants to maintain the same depth in his squad that guided them to the title, and go one step further in Europe, they will need added reinforcements on the opposite side.In 21 of his 37 appearances in the Premier League for Villa last season, Rogers started in a central role. However, should Arsenal secure his signature, they plan on using him out wide on the left.It is a position and area of the pitch that Rogers is familiar with. He started 15 games on the left flank last season, scoring five goals and adding three assists, which is as many goal involvements as he managed in 21 games centrally.The team sheet will read that Rogers plays centrally in the No 10 role but his finest moments arrive when cutting in from the left.Outlining why Arsenal have identified him as a target for the role, should they be successful in their ambitious efforts to sign one of the premium talents in the English top-flight.When playing in this role for Villa, Rogers displays a noticeable rise in his attacking output across all fronts. Goals, chances created, assists and shots all increase per game.While instructions from Arteta would be far more rigid and bound to this side of the pitch, as opposed to the freedom he gets to drift from central areas to the left at Villa, it highlights that the England international is capable of producing if given the remit of the left-winger role.Whether it is cutting in on his favoured right foot or driving towards the byline to facilitate his teammates, Rogers would offer Arsenal a presence down this side of the pitch that they have lacked.Last season, only 33 per cent of their attacks were down the left, as opposed to 43 per cent down Bukayo Saka's right-hand side.In comparison, with Rogers amongst their ranks and venturing down the left, Villa favoured that side by 37 per cent to 35 per cent on the right.The marquee signing of Rogers would provide a whole other avenue for Arsenal to explore.Villa do not want to sell Rogers and they are in a strong negotiating position after the forward signed a new contract, running until 2031, last November.The club qualified for the Champions League after finishing fourth last season, while also winning the Europa League.Fresh off the back of ending their 22-year wait for another league title, Arsenal are now looking to strengthen their attacking options, while keeping the spine of the Premier League-winning side intact.Club-to-club talks are yet to begin for Rogers but Arsenal have done their due diligence on other potential targets, should a move for the Villa man fail to materialise.They agreed a £34m deal for Club Brugge left-winger Tzolis - a record fee for the Belgian Pro League - who will operate as a replacement for Trossard.They also remain interested in Julian Alvarez but a deal looks difficult to do, especially given the family's preference to remain living in Spain and Alvarez's wish to join Barcelona.Forwards Rogers and Alvarez would be expected to fetch a value in excess of £100m, given the deals that have already been done in this window for midfielders such as Elliot Anderson and Sandro Tonali.Another forward Arsenal retain an interest in is Paris Saint-Germain's Bradley Barcola, along with Liverpool.Again, there has been no club-to-club contact between Arsenal and PSG - but the conditions of a deal have been explored.PSG do not want to sell Barcola but his future is one to keep an eye on depending on the moves the Ligue 1 champions make in the window.They have been actively trying to sign winger Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig and also have interest in Alvarez and Rogers.The list is lengthy but the priority is clear. The Villa forward is Arsenal's top target this summer.His proven Premier League quality and potential for further development make him the obvious choice but any move will be dependent on Villa's willingness to negotiate.

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Former France Under-21s defender Maxime Esteve has left Burnley to join Bundesliga club RB Leipzig.Burnley have agreed a reported fee of £27.3m for Esteve, two years after they paid Montpellier £10.2m to make his loan permanent.Esteve, 24, was a big success at Turf Moor and key to their 2024-25 Championship-winning campaign under Scott Parker, playing all 46 league games.The 6ft 4in centre-half initially joined Burnley on loan on transfer deadline day on 1 February 2024, under then manager Vincent Kompany, and made 100 appearances for the Clarets.Burnley rewarded him for his progress with a five-year deal 12 months ago, but following their third relegation in five years from the Premier League, Esteve heads to a team who finished third in the German top flight last season.Pre-match, post-match and topical Clarets contentListen on SoundsSubscribe and listen for everything you love about BurnleyLatest Burnley news, analysis and fan viewsAsk about Burnley - what do you want to know?

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Newcastle United reporterPublished6 minutes ago1 CommentsNewcastle United could have looked very different.Had the club got their way, Johan Manzambi, Victor Munoz and Hugo Ekitike would all be wearing black and white by now.But these players, and a handful of other top targets, have looked elsewhere in the past 12 months.Manzambi has his sights set on a move to Aston Villa, who, unlike Newcastle, can offer Champions League football.Ekitike and Munoz went to Liverpool. Benjamin Sesko joined Manchester United. Joao Pedro chose Chelsea. James Trafford, who remains on Newcastle's radar, ended up at Manchester City.Clubs lose out on targets - it is the nature of the beast - but Newcastle have been dealt their fair share of setbacks in the transfer market.Although there is still plenty of time left in this current window, they clearly have work to do.Newcastle have already bounced back once this summer.After Liverpool signed Munoz, Newcastle discreetly pivoted to winger Bazoumana Toure, who completed a £43m move from Hoffenheim.Newcastle had been a little cautious about Manzambi, given the interest elsewhere, and it is understood the club moved on before Villa's push to sign the midfielder became public.There has certainly been a shift in approach in this window.After qualifying for the Champions League and ending a seven-decade wait to win a major domestic trophy - the EFL Cup in 2025 - Newcastle went toe-to-toe with the league's highest-earning clubs for several star players last summer.The competition has still been intense for targets this time around, but Newcastle are looking at a different profile.Only five Premier League clubs had an older average starting age than Newcastle during a bruising domestic campaign last season, when Eddie Howe's side finished 12th.Young players need time to develop, but Newcastle have looked to target talents before they potentially become out of reach and cost more than £60m.It is rather telling Newcastle's three signings of the summer transfer window – Toure, midfielder Sean Steur and goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen - were all aged 20 and under, hungry to develop and keen on making the move to St James' Park.Toure had other offers, but it is understood the Ivory Coast international had wanted to move to Newcastle "for a long time".Such a desire felt significant given head coach Howe has repeatedly made it clear he wants players who are "desperate" to play for the club.It will also have struck a chord with Newcastle supporter Colin Mitchell after missing out on Munoz and co."With the events of last summer, and the couple of knockbacks we've had so far, it's hard to defend," Mitchell said."But deep down the club is still very attractive to the right players, and we only want players who want to play for Newcastle."It feels a slightly different project, however, as the fifth anniversary of the Saudi Arabia-led takeover approaches.Even when Newcastle were in relegation trouble in 2022, the hierarchy at the time sold a dream to Bruno Guimaraes that they could be a "big power".Now, though, the Newcastle captain has intimated he wishes to join Arsenal, who have yet to make contact with the club.As adored as Guimaraes is on Tyneside, does the 28-year-old have the patience to help lead a new era at Newcastle as the captain of a young group who will take time to flourish?Does Guimaraes feel this is potentially the last chance he would have to win a Premier League title or the Champions League if Arsenal come to the table?In the past 12 months he has watched Alexander Isak move to Liverpool and Anthony Gordon join Barcelona.Newcastle, fresh from a Uefa settlement, have also sold Sandro Tonali to Tottenham in a deal worth up to £100m which will enable them to significantly reinvest within the game's financial rules.Tonali left Newcastle to link up with fellow Italian Roberto de Zerbi, but he will also command far bigger wages because of Spurs' higher revenues despite also missing out on Europe."The opportunity to play for clubs of the stature of Barcelona or to play in London is very attractive to players," he said."With Newcastle not competing in Europe this season, that could be a contributory factor. The Champions League is the biggest tournament in terms of club football for a player and that's an attraction."The other issue is wages. Guimaraes is handsomely paid at Newcastle, but they can't match Arsenal's wages."Arsenal can pay £300,000 a week, which will be close to twice what he is on at present. If you're 28 and looking at a four-year contract, you do the sums and that becomes very attractive."The challenge for Newcastle is to prove that this can still be a "very attractive" project in its own right.Not only to Guimaraes but future signings too.What's going on at Newcastle with Guimaraes' future in doubt?Why Newcastle target Manzambi is in demand

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16 CommentsThe year is 2010. A Spain side stacked with star names have sneaked their way into the World Cup final, where they ultimately triumph in a bruising encounter against the Netherlands with an extra-time Andres Iniesta winner.Fast forward 16 years and a more under-the-radar, but equally efficient, Spain team have again reached football's showpiece.The names may not trip off the tongue as smoothly as they did before, but Luis de la Fuente's current contingent are driven to match the achievement of the country's golden generation and lift the trophy for a second time on Sunday, 19 July.Take the continuity as both sides came into their respective World Cups having won the European Championship two years earlier.For the team that triumphed in 2010, only three of the starting XI had not been at the 2008 Euros. Only two players who began Tuesday's semi-final against France were not part of the successful squad at Germany 2024.Interestingly, Spain's 2026 squad of 26 players have an older average age than the group selected by Vicente del Bosque in 2010 (27.8 compared with 26.7), but they are less experienced on the international stage (33 caps on average against 56).Spain had not won a World Cup knockout game since lifting the trophy in the South Africa tournament, before embarking on this run.The vaunted 37-match unbeaten record of De la Fuente's men is impressive - matching Italy's world-best mark - even if it does discount a penalty shootout defeat by Portugal in last year's Nations League final.This Spain side are the first team to keep six clean sheets at a single World Cup.So how do the two XIs compare? BBC Sport takes a look.What information do we collect from this quiz?GoalkeeperIker Casillas (2010) v Unai Simon (2026)Remarkably, Casillas was only 14 days older than Simon when he played in the World Cup final. The legendary Real Madrid goalkeeper is Spain's second most-capped player after Sergio Ramos, while Simon is a De la Fuente favourite. He has set the record for a goalkeeper for the most consecutive games at a World Cup without conceding in regulation play (six), a run which includes one game from the 2022 World Cup.Sergio Ramos & Joan Capdevila v Pedro Porro & Marc CucurellaAfter their seasons of struggle at Tottenham and Chelsea respectively, few probably expected Porro and Cucurella to excel at this World Cup, but their competitive quality has shone in North America.They boast fewer caps than either Ramos or Capdevila had when they played in the 2010 World Cup final.Right-back Ramos won 28 major trophies during a glittering career spent mostly at Real Madrid, while left-back Capdevila was less heralded but has Euros and World Cup medals to show for his efforts.Carles Puyol & Gerard Pique v Pau Cubarsi & Aymeric LaporteThe young-and-old distinction of legendary Barcelona centre-back duo Puyol and Pique has been reprised in this tournament through Laporte and Cubarsi.The 2010 pairing conceded just two goals in South Africa, but ex-Manchester City centre-back Laporte and Barcelona teenager Cubarsi have conceded one fewer so far, including nullifying the threat of France's feared attackers Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele in the semi-final.Sergio Busquets & Xabi Alonso v Rodri & Fabian RuizBarcelona's Busquets was a revelation in the 2010 World Cup alongside stalwart Alonso in central midfield, together breaking up play and dictating games in front of the Spain backline.At the 2026 World Cup, their exploits have been matched by 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri and the double Champions League-winning Ruiz. Manchester City's Rodri, in particular, has been immense, making more passes than anyone else and making the joint second-most tackles.Xavi Hernandez & Andres Iniesta v Dani Olmo & Alex BaenaFor all Olmo and Baena's undoubted quality at this tournament, Xavi and Iniesta are one of the best midfield partnerships in footballing history, from their time together with Spain and Barcelona.Xavi's corner set up the winner for Puyol in the 2010 semi-final against Germany, while Iniesta fired home the most famous goal in Spain's history to bring them trophy glory.David Villa & Pedro v Lamine Yamal & Mikel OyarzabalIn a tournament headlined by superstars, Lamine Yamal has arguably yet to hit his peak for Spain, managing just one goal. But the teenage sensation still spearheads their team alongside the underrated Oyarzabal, who boasts a one-in-two scoring record for his country and has found the net five times at this World Cup.In 2010, Villa also scored five to finish as joint top scorer with Uruguay's Diego Forlan, Wesley Sneijder of the Netherlands and Germany's Thomas Muller. He was ably supported by Barcelona's Pedro, an emerging talent with only eight caps at the time, while Liverpool's Fernando Torres appeared off the bench.'A true miracle of destiny' - Messi and Lamine Yamal's incredible first meetingWhat next for England? How does Tuchel fix key problems for Euro 2028?When the World Cup finishes, the football continues on BBC Sport

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BBC Sport women’s football news reporterPublished3 minutes agoWest Ham have signed France international Estelle Cascarino on a permanent deal following an initial six-month loan spell.The defender has signed a three-year contract and joins from Serie A side Juventus.Cascarino spent the second half of last season on loan at West Ham, making 12 appearances in all competitions.The 29-year-old earned a recall to the France squad in February and helped West Ham move off the bottom of the table to 10th place."I feel really happy to be back at West Ham United," said Cascarino."I made the decision quickly that I wanted to be back here permanently. From the beginning, this club has felt like home. I enjoyed every minute of my time here."I'm looking forward to being here now for pre-season, to working with Rita [Guarino] and her staff and this group of players."Cascarino made 49 appearances in three years at Juventus and won the league title, Coppa Italia trophy and Supercoppa Italiana in the 2023-24 season.She previously had spells at Manchester United, Lyon, Paris FC, Bordeaux and Paris Saint-Germain."We're really pleased that Estelle has extended her stay with us," added manager Guarino."It was very important that we retained a defender of Estelle's quality. Her impact when she arrived in January was crucial in us achieving our aim of securing our status as a WSL club."Her experience and ability will be crucial as we look to progress this season and I'm looking forward to working with her again."West Ham sign forward Salmon on two-year deal

World Cup News

As of Friday at 10:00 BST, the game in Miami (kick off 22:00 BST) has not yet sold out with 1,246 tickets on general sale listed at $865 (£657) and $1,125 (£855).There are a further 5,864 tickets available on the official resale platform, with the cheapest being category three available at a face value of $455 (£346) plus Fifa's 15% fee.However, there are many tickets in the higher-priced categories listed well below what they were purchased for.A category one ticket with an original price of $1,125 (£855) has a hugely discounted price of $659 (£500).Sunday's World Cup final is also not yet fully sold out, with 32 of the most expensive tickets still on general sale.However, these tickets cost between $29,995 (£22,796) and $32,970 (£25,057). These are standard tickets, not VIP.The original price of these tickets was $7,380 (£5,609), which means if you decided to buy one of these, Fifa will add an extra $1,107 (£841).The most expensive resale ticket for the final is listed at $2m (£1.52m), plus a Fifa fee of $300,000 (£228,000).Prices on resale are set by users and do not directly reflect what people are actually paying.Effort, spirit and moments - but do England lack all-round quality?Some England players disappointed by tactics as Tuchel questions team's DNAWhat next for England? How does Tuchel fix key problems for Euro 2028?How to watch the World Cup on the BBC and ITV

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Arsenal have made Morgan Rogers their top forward target this summer and an approach to Aston Villa is now expected.Villa are expected to demand a fee in excess of £100m given the deals that have already been done in this window for midfielders such as Elliot Anderson and Sandro Tonali.Unai Emery's side have made it clear they do not want to sell Rogers and they are in a strong negotiating position after the forward signed a new contract, running until 2031, last November.Manchester United, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are also interested in the forward.The 23-year-old scored 14 goals and added 11 assists in 55 appearances for Villa last season.Since joining from Middlesbrough in a deal worth £16m in 2024, Rogers has quickly risen from young prospect to a fully fledged England international, with 21 caps to his name already.He made five of those appearances during the 2026 World Cup and provided the assist to Anthony Gordon during England's semi-final defeat to Argentina.Arsenal remain interested in Julian Alvarez but a deal looks difficult to do, especially given the family's preference to remain living in Spain and Alvarez's wish to join Barcelona.Another forward Arsenal retain an interest in is PSG's Bradley Barcola, along with Liverpool.Again, there has been no club-to-club contact between Arsenal and PSG - but the conditions of a deal have been explored.PSG do not want to sell Barcola but his future is one to keep an eye on depending on the moves PSG make in the window.They have been actively trying to sign winger Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig and also have interest in Alvarez and Rogers.

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Michele Kang insists London City Lionesses can “go all the way” this season after an expensive and headline-making summer of signings.The billionaire club owner is spending big in the summer transfer window with two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas the biggest name of a recruitment drive that also includes former England No.1 Mary Earps and four-time Champions League winner Mapi Leon.Kang, exclusively speaking to Sky Sports News in New York, insists the aims for the club are huge both in the long and short-term."Go all the way", she said. "Whatever is there for the club to achieve I'm here to support. I want to see them win a WSL title, I want them to qualify for European competition."London City finished sixth in their first season as a WSL club but it's fair to say pushing for Champions League football is expected in year two.Signing Putellas to one of the biggest contracts in world football sent a message - Kang and her Lionesses are aiming to shake up the establishment."With her [Putellas'] arrival and other players to join it's going to give a little jolt, a kick, to making the league more competitive and compelling," she said."It's been a lot of hard work. I'm deeply grateful she made the decision to join this young, unproven team. I'm very happy for the club, the league and women's football. This is going to be really exciting."London City's signings have left some clubs and fans asking: 'How are they able to do this?'The WSL has a salary cap that stands at 80 per cent of 'relevant revenue' plus an extra £4m. Signing Putellas, Earps, Leon, Germany forward Nicole Anyomi, Janni Thomsen from Utah Royals and giving new contracts to Freya Godfrey, Poppy Pattinson and Kosovare Asllani will have cost a lot, but Kang insists it's all calculated."We are working on every front," she said. "Clearly, one of the ways to do that is to generate and increase our revenue. I've hired a lot of advisors and partners to bring commercial revenues in, ticket sales in."For a long time lots people thought women's football was amateur. I want to see this game stand entirely on its own and the players earn what they're truly worth, not because someone's generous or a corporation's writing a DEI cheque but the business of this game is generating that revenue."We have a full-court press on commercial and ticket sales so everything will be parallel."Kang is also pushing for changes to the current financial rules to give clubs the chance of breaking the dominance of the usual top four.She said: "I'm not against having a salary cap, but when you have an open system with promotion and relegation, for newly promoted teams it's very hard for them to compete with teams that have been in the league for a long time."You've seen it in the last few years, the newly promoted team gets relegated within a year because they can't be competitive."London City are the only team in the top flight that isn't affiliated with a men's club. Kang says that brings about challenges, one of them being declaring revenue."If you're with a men's team, the front-of-jersey sponsorship, they just allocate a certain percentage to the women's team so all of a sudden you can say it's 20 per cent, 30 per cent so their revenue is higher."As an independent team we have to earn every single penny for all our expenses. Nothing happens overnight and this is the first time WSL and FA in England has to deal with a fully independent team."It'll take some time but I'm working with owners and working with the league. It's very important."This is not just about London City, it's about newly promoted teams. Giving them some time and the tools to be competitive so the game isn't just the top four teams win and the bottom three teams always losing and getting relegated."Kang's wish is for any club with ambition and funding to have the chance to break into English football's elite. For now, however, she'll be happy if the only ones able to do that are London City.Kang now has the star power, we'll find out soon whether the Lionesses can tear up the league and have a new team on top.

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Three months into his second season at Crystal Palace - following a £9m move from Sunderland in the summer of 2015 - the trajectory of Connor Wickham's career changed.In a 5-4 Premier League defeat away at Swansea, the striker ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament - and between 26 November 2016 and Christmas Day 2018 made just one 90th-minute substitute appearance, owing to further setbacks.He did not start a top-flight game for the Eagles again."I was flying at that point," he tells Sky Sports. "It was all starting to really, really come together. I was really coming to my peak."When I did that, it absolutely rocked me at the time and the rehab probably didn't help a lot. If I didn't do my ACL, I think I would have been on a completely different path."There was a loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday in 2019/20, but Wickham then missed the whole of 2020/21 before Palace released him. Short spells at Preston, MK Dons, Forest Green, Cardiff and Charlton followed.That is where we pick up with the 33-year-old, who speaks to Sky Sports as he drives down the M1. For the second season running, he is taking part in PFA pre-season, but he is done for this week and heading home to southeast London."To be honest with you, I would have stayed at Charlton," he says."I said to everyone around me, as soon as Nathan Jones came in, they were 100 per cent going to get promoted next season. I could see that in a short space of time."But we had the conversation and it didn't work out, so I just had to move on and figure myself out."A period of almost 18 months without a club followed."I had quite a lot of stuff going on in my personal life at that time. There was bits going on that limited me to where I could go and what I could do," he says."I managed to get into a club to train with. It was a mixture between first team and U23s, but it was still a really good standard. There were two top members of staff that I'd known throughout my career and they were really accommodating. I owe them a lot."I was training four or five times a week and fit all season [in 2024/25], so I was ready to go at whatever time. It was just a shame that all the opportunities I was getting were four or five hours away. At that time, I had to prioritise my family."That extended time out of the game did eventually start to take its toll on Wickham, though."I got to the point where I couldn't stand watching football because I knew I could do what I was watching other people do. It was like a torture session, almost like a jealousy thing. I want to play, I'm ready to play, I'm fit to play, I can do it."There's a lot worse that people go through in life than not playing football. But when it's your bread and butter, when it's your life, it does become really, really difficult."But I guess you either succumb to it and choose to give up or you just bite down, keep going and stick with trying to see the bigger picture and knowing this isn't forever."My mindset at that point was, if I switch off and just completely stop and the phone rings, I'm going to regret it if I don't do it. It's probably one of the toughest things that you could go through as a player. But at the end of the day, when you get back on the pitch and you're kicking the ball around, you'll always be grateful that you kept going."If I had stopped, I don't know where I would be, but in my mind I was never going to stop. I was never ready to stop. I think that's just a bit of the grit and determination that you develop over the years of being in professional football and luckily being at the levels that I was playing at. It was ingrained in me to keep going."My missus has been great in trying to keep me on it. On the down days, she's there to give me the little pep talks and be a little bit of encouragement. My mum and dad are second-to-none. Without them, who knows?"Last summer, Wickham trained with Bromley during pre-season, but when a permanent deal did not materialise, he attended the second edition of PFA pre-season, the fully-funded training camp held at Champneys Springs in Leicestershire, which is aimed at preparing free agents for their next move.He went viral after scoring from the halfway line in a friendly against Man Utd's U21s and, last October, signed for Dubai City, who play in the second tier of UAE football.CONNOR WICKHAM. WOW 🤯 The striker gives us the lead at Carrington from the half way line. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/YcTIUwgDZ0"There were a few opportunities to stay in England at that point, but I was looking for an experience; I wanted to play abroad, I wanted to see what it was like," he adds."But as soon as I got there, I realised how much I've still got left to give. I would get frustrated at results or certain standards or certain levels. The lads were brilliant, don't get me wrong. The coaching staff were brilliant as well, but I think it's just the culture out there. They're very relaxed, very chilled. I probably wanted to win too much."I just realised that maybe I have to get back to England because that's just where the drive is. The culture is more physical, the demand to win, the standards, the drive you get from the team and the club and being in that environment, that's more where I am mentally."I'd give the lifestyle a 10 out of 10, but it's more of a holiday place than a football place for me."From PFA pre-season to the UAE ✈️Congratulations to Connor Wickham on securing a move to First Division League side Dubai City after a spell at PFA pre-season over the summer 👏 pic.twitter.com/srfc82VjgzThe experience in the Middle East has narrowed Wickham's focus. He wants to return to English football. It is as simple as that."I'm happy to do whatever I need to do to get back into England. At the moment, I'm feeling physically great. Mentally, being back training, being around the lads, being in that environment is a really, really big boost. Physically, with the training and the football side of it, you can only go forward."I'd say just due to the time that I've had out of the game, I'm going to have to do more than everybody else to get into that position."But I don't want to get to the point where I end up blaming myself because I haven't been doing the right things or in the right position or how I worked hard. I don't want to question everything that I've done. PFA pre-season is something I'm dedicating my time to. I have to be plugged in 100 per cent to be ready."I still believe in my standard, my level and what I can contribute. I still want to compete. I want to still be the best I can be. I feel physically fine. I still feel like I'm 28 mentally. I still see the game the way that I did, I still can do the things that I used to do."Patience isn't my strength, but at the moment, I just have to try and stay patient and be consistent with myself. I believe that something will happen and I've just got to be ready for it."If and when it does happen, Wickham says he only has one person to prove anything to."The drive is still there, the passion is still there and I don't think that's ever going to go away. Maybe it's just a personal battle with myself. Everyone in football has an opinion; this is more about doing it for myself. I'm chomping at the bit to get back in."I don't think I've got unfinished business, but I think my career is unfinished. I've still got loads to do."

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BBC Sport women’s football news reporterPublished6 minutes agoArsenal have signed Danish goalkeeper Isabella Damm on a permanent transfer from Brondby IF.The 18-year-old goalkeeper joins after spending time at Arsenal on trial last season.She is a Denmark youth international and has gained experience at both under-17 and under-19 levels.Damm joined Brondby in 2021 and progressed through the youth ranks, making her first-team debut in October 2025."I'm so proud to be joining Arsenal and I can't wait to get started," said Damm."Arsenal is a great club and I'm excited to develop as a player and as a person here, and help the club achieve more success."I've had the experience of training here before and I know the environment is the right one for me to progress in."Damm will wear the number 40 shirt and joins Daphne van Domselaar and Anneke Borbe in Arsenal's goalkeeping department."Isabella is an exciting young goalkeeper with a strong foundation to build on," said manager Renee Slegers."Her technical ability, composure and bravery are already clear, and she has a high ceiling for growth and progression."Along with our goalkeeping coaches and wider staff, we'll support her development as she starts her journey here at Arsenal."Arsenal's director of women's football Clare Wheatley added: "We're really pleased to bring Isabella to the club."She's a player we've been monitoring for some time and we believe she's one of the best young goalkeepers in Europe in her age group."Find interviews and extra content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feed

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Ex-Concacaf executive Mel Brennan reflects on the Fifa corruption scandal, missed reforms and why football’s governance remains stubbornly opaqueMel Brennan has seen every level of world football. “I know what the World Cup looks like from the 17th floor of Trump Tower … I know what it looks like from a grass-strewn field in Trinidad where children cannot play because money that was supposed to maintain it went somewhere else entirely,” he says.Brennan worked as an executive at Concacaf during the corrupt reign of its infamous former president Jack Warner and the late general secretary Chuck Blazer, who once helped run the organization from Trump Tower.Brennan was also a confidential source for investigative journalists and law enforcement as they looked into the corruption that was rife within the organization for decades. Brennan’s book about his time at Concacaf, Fixing Football is out now.“Football survived Sepp Blatter,” he writes, optimistically, in the book. “It survived Jack Warner. It survived Chuck Blazer. And it will survive Gianni Infantino.”The Guardian sat down with Brennan to talk about Fifa, Concacaf and the future of the game.Were you surprised when law enforcement raided a Zurich hotel and Concacaf headquarters in Miami in 2015 to indict so many Fifa and Concacaf officials? No. The FBI had stopped and started dialog with me about what was going on at Concacaf. On two separate occasions I was on my way to New York to [meet] with investigators and they said “Wait – we’re not quite ready”. I literally turned my car around. So I knew something was percolating. On the other hand I never really thought there would be comeuppance with this group.Why did you think there would be no accountability for Concacaf bosses after everything you saw while working there?When I was with Concacaf the office was on the 17th floor of Trump Tower. Chuck Blazer lived on the 49th floor. Before that, Chuck and Jack Warner shared an apartment on the 10th floor across from Donald Trump and Marla Maples. They were all so intertwined and so much a part of the interlocking elite that accountability was a distant dream. I would imagine that Chuck, Jack, and others would do anything to stay out of jail. These were not gangsters. These were opportunistic cockroaches. They were not tough guys. They would run with any real sustained sunlight. [Chuck Blazer became an undercover informant for FBI and IRS investigators in 2011.]Were you surprised Concacaf featured so prominently in the 2015 scandals?No. I felt like Concacaf was among the least competent of the continental actors. You had other confederations with people who were European glitterati or ran legitimate businesses but you didn’t really have that in Concacaf. Jack was a former history teacher but he knew that the Caribbean was a sleeping giant that could subvert the Guatemalan-Mexican football power structure at the time. And you had Chuck who was an extractor but you couldn’t really point to a lot that he had built. They were not sophisticated corporate guys. They were not sophisticated business guys. They were born opportunists. That the mistakes were so easily revealed to law enforcement was not a surprise.Blazer and Warner had tight control over Concacaf but there are usually always enablers in these environments. Was that the case at Concacaf?In a larger sense, all of us were enablers but I think that the Concacaf executive committee and the Concacaf member associations would have made a different choice with different political pressure at the time. From 1990 to about 2015 they were operating within a North American context where the world’s sport was sixth or seventh on the media table. It was arguable that wrestling had more media attention. So the media landscape also has to take its fair share of the blame. Often folks would want to maintain access and instead of doing investigative journalism that requires document review and truth-telling, and speaking truth to power, it was more reporting and more like Pravda rather than “the institution said this now lets’s really dig in to see if this is true or not and if it is not true why didn’t they tell us the truth?” There was not a lot of that in the LA Times or the New York Times. Everybody played a role in enabling this.So Blazer and Warner lined their pockets with cash from deals they made. Why do we care how they made money? The cost was that people didn’t gain access to sporting opportunities [they were entitled to through]. The football bubble and the rise in the dollars available for them should have created access. If you are a girl and you play sport, you only have a small chance to go pro but if you play sport and you stay in sport you are more likely to lead an organization as an adult. But these types of opportunities were lost for so many because Jack and Chuck were too busy acting like they were building fields and programming but Chuck and Jack were actually on a game show called “Who is Stealing Money?”. And they were on it every week.Where was the US, Canada, and Mexico – all big players in Concacaf during this? People like [former US Soccer president ] Sunil Gulati were fully present when I was there. The role that Sunil played under [his predecessor] and then as US Soccer president himself felt more like him being a World Bank guy – which is the world he comes from. Admiring this economic engine that Chuck and Jack had built from a distance rather than deploying the power of US Soccer to shine a light on this stuff and make a difference.In your book Fixing Football you recall an amazing scene at a Concacaf conference in Miami where women, who were not delegates, left the hotel en masse at 5am. There were more than 15 and less than 30 [women]. All from the same floor. And you see how they are dressed and you see the time and see what is going on. You feel like you want to call somebody because maybe you are crazy. Everyone else who was there and had been [at Concacaf events previously] was, like, “Well, yeah, let’s get them in the car and get them off …”Has anything changed at Fifa since your era?Transparency International laid out a framework that would have [made things less opaque at Fifa]. Fifa could have meetings of the Fifa Council that are broadcast live and minutes that are in real time. We could see the bank accounts in real time if they wanted us to see it. Some cockroaches have scattered and other cockroaches came in but the overall smell remains the same.Was Victor Montagliani the right person to lead Concacaf after the 2015 crisis?Victor Montagliani had an opportunity to demonstrate he was the right person to lead. There was a moment where Concacaf could have gone in a different direction: democratic, transparent, inclusive, diverse. Instead, what Concacaf did was rely on the fact that [Montagliani] was not Jack and Chuck to say that this meant change. In the end, we still cannot see and it is not clear how Concacaf doles out its dollars. The question is, will Montagliani and other leaders step back just a moment to build something that would matter beyond themselves? That would matter for more people. I was naive to think that Montagliani could be this radical change when most of the status quo is still in place.Should Concacaf be making sponsorship deals with Saudi Arabia and accepting investment in the region from the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund?Any nation state that is murdering journalists has to be marginalized. I would not want to see Concacaf engaging with Saudi Arabia without some sort of weight to the decision-making process of sponsorships and partnerships that included human rights records and human rights abuses. How Saudi Arabia treats women and the most vulnerable matters. If Concacaf is considering a partnership with them then they should have a mechanism that is going to evaluate some of [the issues]. They might not get a deal at all but to not have those considerations in the conversation as to whether you are going to partner somebody is an abandonment of the spirit that makes sport matter at all.Does the USA, Mexico, and Canada hosting this year’s World Cup make this tournament a success for the sport in the region?It is an opportunity. [But] who gets left behind? In my local town in Maryland, all [organized] youth soccer is white kids. But a 10-minute walk from my house a park is reserved by Latino communities but these two communities don’t meet. One community is going to the Dallas Cup and the Florida youth soccer tournaments and the other one is not. There is something wrong here and there is an opportunity for us to reshape how this looks or to call for and get better answers from our leaders as to why it looks the way it looks.This interview has been edited for length and clarity.