Premier League
Rob Edwards Takes Charge at Wolves After Turbulent Approach from Middlesbrough
Edwards named Wolves manager after fraught approach; Boro stood him down, and accepted compensation.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have confirmed Rob Edwards as their new manager following a fraught and public recruitment process. The decision comes after Wolves dismissed Vitor Pereira when the side lost eight of their opening 10 Premier League matches this season.
An unlikely shortlist had been assembled early in the search, with names such as Carrick, Erik ten Hag and Gary O’Neil all considered before Edwards emerged as the preferred candidate.
Middlesbrough registered strong objections to Wolves’ approach. The Telegraph reported the northern club accused Wolves of a “breach of Premier League regulations.” Middlesbrough stood Edwards down for their Championship game with Birmingham City, forcing him to watch from afar as his team won 2–1 and moved up to second in the table.
By Saturday the standoff ended. Sky Sports News reported Middlesbrough drew up a compensation package worth between £3–4 million ($3.9–5.3 million) and the club ultimately accepted that offer. The episode underlined the bitterness around the approach and left clear traces of disquiet in the north east.
Chairman Jeff Shi provided the club’s assessment on the appointment: “I know Rob very well and I have seen his growth in different jobs. He’s a very good person, he knows the club very well, he knows the city, the fans and he is very talented. When he was a youth coach here, he showed his tactical awareness, but after he took first-team jobs he started to grow his own identity, character and leadership.”
Head of professional development Matt Jackson added: “Rob and his staff have demonstrated previously that they can be really good in shifting the culture, getting confidence quickly into players and building foundations for a really positive future. He loves being on the grass and making a change to a team, embracing the tactics of different situations.
“The energy that he brings off the field, we have to get it on to the pitch. We have to be realistic about where we are, and we definitely need to be held accountable. We now need to get that belief into the players quickly and think Rob will be great culturally for the whole football club.”
Edwards has local ties. Born in Madeley, he played for Wolves between 2004 and 2008, making 111 first-team appearances, began coaching the club’s U18s at 30 and later took Luton Town into the Premier League in 2023. Wolves now face the immediate challenge of arresting a slide that has placed them close to relegation.
Liverpool
Mac Allister’s Camp Rebuffs Madrid Talk but Keeps Door Ajar After World Cup
Carlos Mac Allister says Real Madrid have not spoken to Alexis; future after World Cup remains open.
Alexis Mac Allister’s agent and father, Carlos, has moved to dampen talk of an imminent transfer to Real Madrid while making clear his son remains focused on the World Cup.
Speculation has linked the Liverpool midfielder with a summer move following a 2025–26 campaign in which his form drew harsh scrutiny. Real Madrid have been mentioned as a destination after securing Bernardo Silva this year as they seek long-term successors to Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić.
Carlos Mac Allister, who also represents his son, denied that any contact had taken place with the Spanish club when speaking to Erem News. “The reports circulating about Alexis are false.
“No one from Real Madrid has spoken to us so far. There is no new information regarding Alexis’s current situation at Liverpool .”
Mac Allister’s contract at Liverpool runs until June 2028 and, according to the available information, there have been no discussions about an extension. The player spent three seasons on Merseyside after his move from Brighton & Hove Albion.
The agent returned to the subject in comments to WinWin, stressing the immediate priority and leaving the possibility of reconsideration once the World Cup is concluded: “Alexis is in excellent shape to play in the World Cup. Before the World Cup begins, it’s not possible to discuss or analyse a player’s future,” he said.
Liverpool endured a difficult 2025–26 season and finished fifth to secure Champions League qualification. The club has since changed managers, with Arne Slot replaced by Andoni Iraola, and a significant summer of turnover is anticipated, including the departures of Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson.
How the new manager views Mac Allister remains unclear. After three seasons at Liverpool, both player and club may evaluate whether a fresh chapter is appropriate once international commitments conclude.
Premier League
De Zerbi Prioritises Sandro Tonali as Spurs Target After Survival Drive
De Zerbi has identified Sandro Tonali as Spurs’ priority target after rescue mission last season…
Roberto De Zerbi has identified Sandro Tonali as Tottenham Hotspur’s primary midfield target as the club looks to rebuild following a perilous run last season. Spurs were perilously close to succumbing to a stunning relegation, with only the work of De Zerbi after he was appointed at the end of March steering them clear of West Ham United and the Championship abyss.
Tottenham have already moved in the market, signing Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi from Liverpool and Bournemouth on free transfers. The acquisition of Tonali would be regarded internally as a clear statement of intent and one engineered by De Zerbi, who holds considerable power in N17 after steering the club to safety.
Newcastle United are expected to make a major decision on their squad this summer as they embark on a mini-reset. While Eddie Howe remains in the picture, Anthony Gordon has moved on to pastures new with Barcelona and Tonali could soon follow the Englishman out the door.
Tonali has been linked previously with Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United, but multiple sources state Spurs have now entered the race. The Athletic’s David Ornstein is among those to report that Spurs and the player’s entourage have held “positive talks”, though there has not yet been any contact with Newcastle, who are expected to demand a mega fee for the former AC Milan star’s services.
The Magpies value Tonali highly and may force Spurs to pay as much as £85 million ($114 million). Newcastle paid AC Milan £55 million ($74 million) in 2023, so a sale would produce a sizeable profit for them. Spurs are said to be further advanced in talks than other suitors.
Tonali, the 26-year-old, is not the pass-first, build-up orchestrator some expect, but he contributes across the pitch. He is strong out of possession and more forceful in that phase. Early-career Andrea Pirlo comparisons proved to be erroneous, but Tonali has become underrated with the ball. Having helped resurrect Tottenham’s engine room down the stretch, De Zerbi believes he could get the best from the player, who grew up in Lodi, Lombardy, an hour’s drive from Brescia where the manager was born.
Man Utd
Man Utd Target Crysencio Summerville as Left‑Wing Options Are Weighed
Man Utd assess Crysencio Summerville as one of several left-wing options, West Ham face sales. soon.
Manchester United are “paying serious attention” to West Ham winger Crysencio Summerville as part of their search for a left-sided wide player this summer. Sources suggest the club view Summerville as one of several candidates while evaluating alternatives and squad options.
Summerville, 24, drew fresh interest after an impressive World Cup showing against Japan in which he scored and offered a combative display off the ball. The Athletic reports Manchester United have “enquired” about his situation. At an estimated $67.1 million (£50 million) he sits at the lower end of the price range compared with other reported targets.
Other names United have considered include Yan Diomande, Iliman Ndiaye, Morgan Rogers and Bradley Barcola. Leipzig are likely to demand about $116 million (€100 million, £86.5 million) for Diomande, a figure that would place him well above Summerville and potentially push any move beyond the immediate window. Barcola has been linked amid reports of frustration over his minutes at Paris Saint-Germain.
Domestically, reintegrating Marcus Rashford remains a discussed option within the club, although it may be regarded as a last resort. Michael Carrick has not ruled out that path while also acknowledging the desire to add a new wide player.
Summerville’s form last season included a run of four successive Premier League goals in January after an indifferent start to 2025–26, but a minor injury in March interrupted his momentum and reduced his influence in the closing weeks.
West Ham paid roughly half of the reported United valuation to sign Summerville from Leeds United in 2024. Relegation has increased the likelihood of interest in the club’s top performers, a list that also contains midfield target Mateus Fernandes and attacker Jarrod Bowen.
Daniel Křetínský, the incoming principal shareholder at West Ham, has insisted the club will not sell for financial reasons. “We have a very credible strategy,” Křetínský told The Times. “We don’t need to sell the players for financial reasons. We are doing this to make sure we are promoted back to the Premier League immediately. That is our only goal.”
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