Declan Rice and William Saliba have both confirmed lingering injuries that carried from the Premier League season into the 2026 World Cup, underlining concerns about the demands on players at elite clubs.

Rice disclosed an ongoing hamstring issue after a heavy campaign with Arsenal and a quick turn to international duty in North America. “I was feeling a little bit of neural pain in my hamstring, which I was managing from after Christmas with Arsenal for a very long time,” he told ITV Sport. “Obviously, not a lot of people would have known that. It was all behind-the-scenes stuff but it was a smart decision.” Thomas Tuchel managed Rice’s minutes in England’s opener, taking the 27-year-old out of the match after 72 minutes. Rice said the substitution was prudent. “In the end, that last 20 minutes is probably where you pick up the most, and it’s where you play a 70-minute match. But that last 20 is where you really feel your body going for it. And I think it was a smart decision because the last few days I felt really, really good.” He added that he is “ready and fit, raring to go” for his country.

Saliba admitted he is not at full fitness but is playing through discomfort as France pursue another title. “I’ve had some minor niggles for several months,” Saliba said in his prematch press conference for Les Bleus’ clash with Iraq. “I’ve been gritting my teeth because there was the Champions League and the Premier League. But the coaching staff are handling it very well,” he continued. Reports have suggested a potential back operation could be considered after the tournament. Saliba, 25, played at least 50 times for Arsenal for a third straight season and featured the full 90 minutes in France’s 3–1 win over Senegal.

Rice highlighted the cumulative toll: he played 63 matches last season for club and country and could add eight more if England reach the final. “It’s an obscene amount of games,” Rice said. “The schedule was crazy but what can we do about it? You can’t sit and complain. We have to just get on with it for the moments like I had in the Premier League, winning that Premier League.

“You know you’d play as many games as possible to have that feeling again and knowing that there’s a World Cup at the end of it as well. You know you’d put your body on the line to be always in to play. It’s a lot of games but we’ll get our break at the end.”

Liverpool remain intent on recruiting a long-term successor to Mohamed Salah and have opened talks over Yan Diomande. Leipzig, however, are resisting a sale and are pushing to extend Diomande’s contract. To accept a transfer, the German club would insist on “significantly more” than Liverpool’s opening proposal, which the Reds submitted largely to “test the waters”.

The Daily Mail state Liverpool are set to return with an improved bid, but Leipzig will watch Diomande’s World Cup displays closely and may boost their valuation accordingly. That approach is already proving effective.

Diomande’s tournament with Côte d’Ivoire is just beginning, but he made a strong impression in the 1–0 victory over Ecuador. On the night his quick feet and direct dribbling stood out. No player had more touches in the opposition box than Diomande (12), while his five chances created led the game. He troubled an Ecuador defence containing PSG’s Willian Pacho and Arsenal’s Piero Hincapié.

Match metrics from that appearance:
Minutes played: 90
Chances created: 5
Dribble success: 67% (4/6)
Touches in opposition box: 12
Expected goals and assists (xG + xA): 0.54
Ground duels won: 73% (11/15)

Leipzig officials will welcome the possibility that continued form raises interest and transfer value. The club has adjusted its strategy recently by attempting to keep key players on fresh contracts while remaining open to sales for the right fee. That could mean holding Diomande to a new deal and negotiating a move later on more favourable terms.

Relations between the two clubs are described as strong. The presence of Jürgen Klopp in the Red Bull hierarchy is noted as a further link that should aid constructive talks, and both sides are expected to conduct negotiations amicably as the window progresses.

Arsenal have opened preliminary contact over Ayyoub Bouaddi after the 18-year-old midfielder’s emergence on the international stage. Bouaddi, who plays for Lille in Ligue 1, joined the club as a young teenager and made his senior debut in 2023, three days after turning 16.

Although born in northern France, Bouaddi switched allegiance to Morocco less than a month before starting Saturday’s 1–1 draw against Brazil to kick off the team’s World Cup campaign. In that match he covered ground across the pitch, hardly misplaced a pass and routinely won possession back, drawing attention to his technical poise and energy.

The Times writes that Arsenal are in contact with the player’s representatives, the preliminary stage of any transfer process to gauge interest from the prospective target. No talks have yet begun between the Premier League champions and Lille, who are thought to value Bouaddi at $80.5 million (£60 million). That is a sum in the same ballpark as the fee that brought Martín Zubimendi to London last July.

Arsenal’s recruitment pattern this summer has leaned toward raw, developing talent. The club has already been linked to other teenage prospects, with 16-year-old Leicester City winger Jeremy Monga considered the “priority” target for the summer—although Brentford appear to hold an advantage in the battle for his signature.

Competition for Bouaddi is reported to come from Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. Given his rapid rise through Lille’s ranks and the visibility of his World Cup performances, it is clear why he is attracting interest from multiple big clubs. For Arsenal, the move would fit a broader strategy of investing in young players with high ceilings, even when valuations demand significant outlay.