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The domestic football season is over for another year, and many players are preparing for the World Cup. Managers, old and new, will be assessing their squads and making plans for the transfer window and beyond. Scouts will be looking at players, the media will be speculating, and some players will see their valuations rise on the back of a good World Cup.

Discuss the latest rumours and gossip surrounding a player on the move or who could potentially be switching clubs as we head towards the 2026-27 football season.

BBC Sport is set to enhance its engagement with fans by launching four new YouTube shows.

Footballers Toby Alderweireld, Robbie Keane and Ashley Young, and former Tottenham manager Thomas Frank will join Match of the Day as pundits and BBC Sport will launch four new YouTube formats for the new men's football season.

The BBC Football YouTube channel will house the quartet of new shows including FANS², The Truth About Football, Golden Goal and Football Hub.

Fans can look forward to a range of topics being covered, from match previews and reviews to in-depth discussions on players and tactics. The goal is to create a more interactive experience where viewers can engage with the content and share their thoughts.

"Football means something different to every fan, and this season BBC Sport is putting those fans even more firmly at the heart of the game," said BBC director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski.

"We're bringing together the unrivalled expertise of former players and managers with the passion, personality and perspectives of supporters to create a richer football experience wherever and however audiences follow the game."

This initiative not only enhances the viewing experience but also signifies the BBC's dedication to adapting to the evolving landscape of sports media, ensuring that fans have access to quality content wherever they are.

As well as Match of the Day's Premier League coverage, BBC will broadcast two matches from each round of the FA Cup as well as one Bundesliga match every week on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

Highlights and clips will also be available from La Liga, Serie A, the Europa League and Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland's international games.

Kelly Somers' The Football Interview will continue on BBC iPlayer, BBC Football YouTube and the BBC Sport website and app, as well as on BBC One every Saturday from 12:45 BST.

• Match of the Day every weekend on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer and BBC website & app every weekend
• The Football Interview on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds every Saturday
• 209 Premier League games on BBC Radio 5 Live, 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds
• Champions League, Scottish Premiership, FA Cup, League Cup and international matches involving home nations
• Watch and listen to The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC iPlayer, BBC Sounds, BBC Football YouTube and the BBC Sport website and app
• Listen: 606 with Chris Sutton and Robbie Savage, Premier League Review on the Football Daily with Rick Edwards, The Monday Night Club and The Football Daily with Mark Chapman, Chris Sutton and Rory Smith and the Total Sports Show with Charlie Taylor and 72+: The EFL Podcast with Aaron Paul and Jobi McAnuff
• MOTD Predictor on the BBC Sport website and app
• FA Cup: Two matches from each round and further highlights on BBC TV and BBC iPlayer, and listen on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds and BBC Local Radio.
• Bundesliga: Watch one weekly match and further highlights on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app
• Serie A: Watch one match from Serie A every weekend and further highlights - BBC ALBA will have nineteen live Serie A matches with Gaelic and English co-commentary, and BBC Sport streaming a further nineteen live matches on BBC iPlayer
• Watch Final Score live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer every week
• Watch Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland games and listen on BBC Radio

The Scottish FA is reportedly eyeing Sebastien Pocognoli, the former head coach of Monaco, as the top contender to take over the managerial position for the Scotland national football team following Steve Clarke's departure.

The 39-year-old Belgian, who left Monaco at the end of last season, previously led Union Saint-Gilloise to a first league title in 90 years in 2024-25.

Pocognoli is one of several candidates to have been spoken to by Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell and Craig Mulholland, who was appointed as the association's chief football officer in May.

And it is thought an appointment could be imminent, with Scotland returning to action in the Nations League with a four-game block of fixtures, starting in Slovenia on 26 September.

Pocognoli spent time in England during his playing career, turning out for West Bromwich Albion and Brighton & Hove Albion, and earned 13 caps for Belgium.

He would become just the second foreign boss of the Scotland men's team, after German Berti Vogts.

He is said to favour an attacking 3-4-1-2 system which he himself has described as "a dominant one, with and without the ball. High pressing, counter-pressing, but also real mastery in possession".

"For me, players are artists," he added. "And for an artist to put on a good show, they must be comfortable mentally and physically."

Experience and Background:

• Former head coach of Monaco, a club with a strong reputation in European football.
• Known for his tactical knowledge and player development skills.

Potential Impact on Scotland:

• Could bring a new vision and strategy to the national team.
• Opportunity to harness young talent and improve overall team dynamics.

Fan Reactions:

• Excitement about the prospect of a new managerial approach.
• Curiosity about how his coaching style will translate to the national team.

As the Scottish FA moves forward with their decision, it will be interesting to see how Pocognoli's candidacy unfolds and what it could mean for the future of Scottish football.

A consortium led by Jeff Bezos has secured an option to acquire a controlling stake in the club. This potential move comes as part of an agreement with Fenway Sports Group (FSG), who currently owns the team.

The arrangement includes a mechanism that allows 1892 Holdings, the investment group associated with Bezos, to step in and take a majority ownership of the club. This could mark a significant shift in the club's management and direction, given Bezos's extensive resources and experience in leading large organisations.

The Amazon founder's investment in 1892 Holdings, a consortium headed up and managed by Amit Bhatia, comes via the K5 Sports fund.

And sources on both sides of the deal, speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, have confirmed there is a mechanism that could see the consortium purchase a controlling stake in the club in the next 12 months.

Those sources stress, however, that the language around this element of the transaction does not constitute a commitment, so it is merely an option that could lead to further investment as opposed to something that is set in stone.

Bhatia, who previously co-owned Queens Park Rangers, is also joined in 1892 Holdings by the family office of Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin and his wife Elaine, as well as the Mittal Family Trusts.

The former QPR director will take up the position of vice chairman at Liverpool and will be joined on the club's board by Elaine Saverin and Bryan Baum from K5 Sports. Bezos is not going to have a seat on the board.

As part of the deal, FSG will continue to be majority shareholders in Liverpool and are retaining operational control of the club, with sources confirming on Friday that there will be no change to the leadership or day-to-day running of the Merseyside club.

"The strategic investment supports Liverpool FC's long-term growth ambitions by bringing together experts from across global business, technology and investment," FSG's statement, released on Friday, read.

"The consortium partners will work with FSG and the club's leadership team to evaluate opportunities that enhance the club's objectives on and off the pitch. FSG continues to retain majority ownership and operational control of Liverpool FC."

In the same statement, Bhatia, speaking on behalf of 1892 Holdings, said: "We are incredibly proud to be investing in Liverpool Football Club and to be doing so alongside FSG. We have the utmost respect and admiration for FSG as owners and for everything they have achieved at Anfield.

"To be welcomed as a partner in a club of this stature is a huge privilege. We are making this investment because we believe deeply in Liverpool and its leadership, and we look forward to supporting the club's continued success for years to come."

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For supporters, this news raises a mix of excitement and curiosity about what changes might come with new ownership. Will there be increased investment in player acquisitions? How might the club's global brand evolve under Bezos's influence? These are just a few questions that fans might be pondering as they consider the implications of this potential transition.

Third Qualifying Round 1st Legs

Main Path
FK Auda (LVA) 1 V 0 FC Dinamo City (ALB)
SK Brann (NOR) 0 V 1 Apollon Limassol FC (CYP)
Panathinaikos FC (GRE) 1 V 1 FC CSKA 1948 (BUL)
FC Inter Turku (FIN) 2 V 1 FC Vaduz (LIE)
FC Noah (ARM) 2 V 2 FC Sion (SUI)
FK Jablonec (CZE) 2 V 0 FC RFS (LVA)
HJK Helsinki (FIN) 1 V 1 Motherwell FC (SCO)
Paide Linnameeskond (EST) 1 V 4 SK Rapid (AUT)
CFR 1907 Cluj (ROU) 0 V 5 Tromsø IL (NOR)
Debreceni VSC (HUN) 0 V 3 F.C. Copenhagen (DEN)
FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) 1 V 0 Qarabağ FK (AZE)
FC Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA) 1 V 3 FC St. Gallen 1879 (SUI)
FK Žalgiris (LTU) 2 V 5 HNK Hajduk Split (CRO)
IFK Göteborg (SWE) 0 V 1 KAA Gent (BEL)
Raków Częstochowa (POL) 0 V 0 Hammarby IF (SWE)
Beitar Jerusalem FC (ISR) 1 V 2 FK Austria Wien (AUT)
AFC Ajax (NED) 3 V 1 Shelbourne FC (IRL)
FC Twente (NED) 6 V 0 FC DAC 1904 (SVK)
Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC (ISR) 2 V 0 GKS Katowice (POL)
FC Lugano (SUI) 2 V 0 NSÍ Runavík (FRO)
SC Braga (POR) 1 V 0 FC Dinamo-Minsk (BLR)
Valur (ISL) 0 V 2 FC Nordsjælland (DEN)
Bohemians FC (IRL) 0 V 2 FC Midtjylland (DEN)
HNK Rijeka (CRO) 1 V 0 Ilves Tampere (FIN)
FK Partizan Beograd (SRB) 3 V 0 FC Tobol (KAZ)
Hibernian F.C. (SCO) 2 V 1 KF Shkëndija (MKD)

Champions Path
Inter Club d'Escaldes (AND) 2 V 0 FC Flora Tallinn (EST)
Riga FC (LVA) 1 V 0 ETO FC Győr (HUN)
FK Borac (BIH) 1 V 0 ML Vitebsk (BLR)
S.S. Tre Fiori F.C. (SMR) 1 V 4 FC Drita (KOS)

Third Qualifying Round 1st Leg Results
Main Path
Ferencvárosi TC (HUN) 1 V 0 Górnik Zabrze (POL)
Jagiellonia Białystok (POL) 2 V 1 Rangers FC (SCO)
Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC (ISR) 0 V 3 PFC CSKA Sofia (BUL)
FC Hradec Králové (CZE) 0 V 1 Beşiktaş JK (TUR)
FC Salzburg (AUT) 1 V 0 Pafos FC (CYP)
PAOK FC (GRE) 0 V 1 RSC Anderlecht (BEL)
SL Benfica (POR) 6 V 1 Heart of Midlothian FC (SCO)

Champions Path
Larne FC (NIR) 0 V 0 FC Iberia 1999 Tbilisi (GEO)
Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL) 3 V 1 KF Egnatia (ALB)
KuPS Kuopio (FIN) 1 V 1 Universitatea Craiova (ROU)
KKS Lech Poznań (POL) 1 V 0 KÍ Klaksvík (FRO)
Lincoln Red Imps FC (GIB) 1 V 1 Omonia FC (CYP)
FC Thun (SUI) 3 V 0 Víkingur Reykjavík (ISL)

Third Qualifying Round 1st Leg Results
Champions Path
FC Ararat-Armenia (ARM) 2 V 1 Celje (SVN)
Mjällby AIF (SWE) 1 V 2 Slovan Bratislava (SVK)
Hapoel Beer-Sheva (ISR) 1 V 0 Crvena Zvezda (SRB)
PFC Levski Sofia (BUL) 1 V 0 FC Kairat Almaty (KAZ)
GNK Dinamo (CRO) 5 V 0 FK Kauno Žalgiris (LTU)
Aarhus (DEN) 2 V 1 Sabah FC (AZE)

League path
AC Sparta Praha (CZE) 2 V 1 Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)
Olympiacos FC (GRE) 0 V 0 N.E.C. Nijmegen (NED)
R. Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL) 3 V 3 FK Bodø/Glimt (NOR)
Fenerbahçe (TUR) 2 V 0 Sturm Graz (AUT)

Leicester City is officially up for sale. The club's Thai owners, King Power, who have been at the helm for 16 years, are looking to sell the club for a price exceeding £200 million.

King Power has played a significant role in Leicester's history, especially following their incredible Premier League title win in the 2015-2016 season, which remains one of the greatest underdog stories in sports.

The Foxes have had an eight-page sales booklet produced by a leading US investment bank to help offload the one-time Premier League title winners.

Citigroup lists the Foxes, its women's team, and other major assets - including the 32,000-seat King Power Stadium and its Seagrave training facility which was opened in 2020 and is valued at £121m - as well as OH Leuven, Leicester's Belgian sister club, as up for sale in a brochure titled 'Project Lineup'.

The document values the club's physical assets at more than £200m, though no specific sum has been attributed to the sale of its struggling teams.

The brochure speaks of "a rare opportunity to acquire a club with an excellent track record of winning promotions to higher divisions".

Leicester's successes, including the 5,000-1 Premier League title win of 2016 and the FA Cup triumph five years later, are well promoted in the brochure, while their place in League One, after back-to-back relegations from the top flight and the Championship, fail to get a mention.

The club's turnover, which Citigroup forecast to be more than £97m for the 2026 financial year are also part of the pitch, but the years of financial losses and the club's debts - which, as outlined in its 2025 accounts, include £103.6m in bank loans - are omitted.

In the years that the club yo-yoed between the Premier League and Championship, with two relegations from the top flight in three years between 2023 and 2025, the club lost more than £180m.

Despite the club's issues, Leicester City is being positioned for sale as one of only five clubs to have won all three major English trophies - the Premier League, the FA Cup and the League Cup - since 2000.

New season starting soon.

The 2026/27 Premier League season runs from 21 August 2026 to 30 May 2027, opening with Arsenal vs Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium.

Start date: 21 August 2026
End date: 30 May 2027
Defending champions: Arsenal
Promoted clubs: Coventry City, Ipswich Town, Hull City
Relegated clubs: West Ham United, Burnley, Wolverhampton Wanderers
Total fixtures: 380 matches across 33 weekend rounds + 5 midweek rounds
Transfer window: 15 June 2026 – 31 August 2026
New rule: Ban on gambling sponsors on front of shirts begins this season

FIFA has announced plans to sell a large minority stake in a new company that will run its main events, including the World Cup and Club World Cup, as part of a plan to triple the amount of development money it dishes out to its 211 member associations.

Under the proposals - which are subject to approval by a majority of those national associations and FIFA's 37-member council - a new entity called FIFA Forward Enterprises (FFE) will take over all commercial operations, while FIFA remains the game's global governing body and retains a majority stake in FFE.

With elements of this plan starting to be reported by several media outlets earlier on Tuesday, FIFA was forced to rush out a press release that confirmed it was hoping to sell up to 21 per cent of FFE to private investors, with the intention of bringing in $4.2billion (£3.2bn) that could be immediately released to its member associations as part of a new funding stream called FIFA Fast-Forward Programme (FFFP).

The press release also confirmed that global bank JP Morgan has been FIFA's chief advisor on this project, with Thrive Eternal, a long-term investment vehicle set up by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, "expected to lead the proposed investor group for FFE."

Under the plan, FIFA's total development funding would top $10bn over the next four years, with each member association allowed to draw an "optional" $20m each for "exceptional and immediate funding for special projects" from the new FFFP stream, which will be funded by the sale of the minority stake.

However, that is only the beginning of the proposed bonanza, as each member association would also get regular Forward Programme grants of $20m each, up from $8m, in the next four-year cycle. That will rise to $22m per nation for 2031-34 and $24m - three times the current amount - for 2035-38.

Who is behind the plan?

Unsurprisingly, the idea is the brainchild of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who has been working on it for months.

In FIFA's press release, Infantino described football as "an extraordinary engine of human and social development" and said it was the governing body's "responsibility" to make sure football's "remarkable commercial value" is shared more evenly around the global game.

"Our next stage of growth needs a structure built for it, one where the commercial side of the game operates as a focused, dedicated business, with its value shared more and better all around the world," said Infantino.

"Every FIFA member association should have an opportunity to seek a fair share of the available funding to shape its own future, deciding for itself rather than relying on others. This is about the democratisation of football worldwide."

What has the reaction been?

Given that during and before this summer's World Cup, the involvement of someone with a family connection to President Trump, such as Joshua Kushner, will raise eyebrows throughout the global game. European football's governing body UEFA has already expressed its opposition to the idea of selling the sport's most valuable assets to private investors and sovereign wealth funds.

"This crosses a line that football's governing institutions should never cross," UEFA said in a statement released shortly before FIFA confirmed the plan.

"UEFA takes it extremely seriously. So should every national football association. So should every stakeholder: leagues, clubs, players, supporters, governments and everyone who cares about the future of the game.

"The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade - especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially. None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA's to sell."