midfielder

O’Brien played 16 times for Swansea after joining on loan in the mid-season window, and played a key role as they pulled clear of relegation danger to finish 11th.

He also had loan spells at Los Angeles FC, Middlesbrough and DC United after falling out of favour at Forest.

O’Brien’s signing would be another statement of intent by Wrexham, who are owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, as they prepare for life in the Championship after three successive promotions.

The north Wales club have already brought in goalkeeper Danny Ward from Leicester City, forward Ryan Hardie from Plymouth Argyle, left-back Liberato Cacace for a club-record fee from Empoli, midfielder George Thomason from Bolton Wanderers and forward Josh Windass, who was a free agent after leaving financially troubled Sheffield Wednesday.

England and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham has undergone successful surgery for a long-standing shoulder issue.

The 22-year-old is expected to miss the whole of Real’s pre-season and at least the first six weeks of the campaign, which would include England’s World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia in September.

Bellingham has struggled with the problem since 2023, when he dislocated his shoulder in a game against Rayo Vallecano.

Real said he will now undergo a period of rehabilitation before returning to training.

The Spanish club, under new manager Xabi Alonso, start their La Liga season at home to Osasuna on 19 August.

Bellingham has worn strapping on his shoulder, but told reporters in June he was “tired of playing with the sling”.

Real scheduled his surgery for after the Club World Cup in the United States, where they were beaten in the semi-finals by Paris St-Germain last week.

Bellingham joined Real from Borussia Dortmund for £115m two years ago and won the La Liga title and Champions League in his first season, scoring 23 goals in 43 appearances.

He scored 15 goals in 58 games last season, with Real losing the league title to Barcelona and knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals by Arsenal.

England midfielder Jordan Henderson is set to sign for Brentford after his exit from Ajax.

The 35-year-old will join the Bees on a two-year deal after the Dutch club agreed to end his contract a year early.

Henderson had considerable interest from top clubs in England and Europe but Brentford have won the race to sign the former Liverpool skipper.

Playing in the Premier League will provide Henderson with the platform to stay in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad before next summer’s World Cup.

Edu Rubio, former West Ham, Crystal Palace and Wolves coach

Norgaard is a modern defensive-anchor player. He can break up play, intercept, tackle, block and win aerial duels. He can let Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice do their thing while he protects their backs.

He can also recycle the ball and play forwards effectively. In a league where there are so many transitions, a player who senses danger and has a great ability to regain the ball can be a must-have in your team.

His physicality, and the fact it has been tested in the Premier League, also makes him a very sensible signing. He can be a great addition to Arsenal.

Norgaard will fit perfectly with Zubimendi. They can even play together if Arteta opts for two holding players and one 10, instead of one anchor and two number eights.

Zubimendi is more of a passer and creator. Norgaard is more a break-up-play midfielder who can regain possession, secure possession and stop the opposition from easily breaking into the final third.

Arteta is making sure he will have enough strength in the midfield area to compete in all four competitions.

Former England midfielder Adam Lallana has retired from playing at the age of 37.

Lallana, who won 34 caps for his country, returned to Southampton last season after making his name in his first spell there.

He joined Liverpool from Saints for £25m in 2014 and went on to win the Premier League and Champions League.

“As I call time on my playing career, I do so with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and pride,” Lallana said on his social media accounts., external

“Southampton… the place where it all started, and fittingly where it ends. It’s the club I ultimately owe everything to.”

Lallana came through Southampton’s academy before making his debut for the first team as an 18-year-old in 2006.

He went on to feature more than 250 times for Saints and was part of the squad that won back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League.

Lallana was captain when he left for Anfield during a summer where he also played for England at the 2014 World Cup.

After winning the Champions League with Liverpool in 2019 and the league title the following campaign, Lallana joined Brighton before returning to St Mary’s in 2024.

He only made five starts as Saints were relegated to the Championship.

“I’m proud of the playing career I’ve had and have no regrets about any of it,” Lallana added.

“I embrace all the highs and all the lows as they’ve shaped me into who I am.

“To everyone who made the journey so special, the staff at each club and organisation, the managers and coaches, my teammates, and of course the supporters — thank you.

“But most of all, to my own team… my family. My wife Emily, our amazing sons, my mum, dad and sister, thank you for putting up with me and being in my corner through it all.

“I’m excited for whatever the future brings.”

Cardiff City captain Joe Ralls is leaving the club, bringing an end to 15 years at the Bluebirds.

Ralls, the Bluebirds’ longest-serving player, had initially been in discussions over potentially extending his stay at Cardiff City Stadium.

But, after talks with new manager Brian Barry-Murphy, the 31-year-old midfielder will move on when his contract expires at the end of this month.

Midfielder or right-back Andy Rinomhota is also set to depart with his three-year deal also not being renewed.

A decision on their futures had been put on hold as the club awaited to appoint a successor to Omer Riza after demotion to League One, with Barry-Murphy being confirmed as new head coach last week.

Ralls thanked owner Vincent Tan and the Cardiff board on social media, and Barry-Murphy for “being completely honest with me”.

“It’s incredibly hard to find the words after 15 years here… but the time has come for me to move on and for the club to go in a new direction,” Ralls said.

Wirtz made his debut for Leverkusen at the age of 17, scoring 57 goals in 197 games for the club, and helped them win the Bundesliga for the first time in 2024.

He has scored seven goals in 31 appearances for Germany since making his international debut in 2021.

Wirtz is set to become the second player Liverpool have bought from Bayer Leverkusen this summer, with right full-back Jeremie Frimpong having arrived in a £34m deal.

The Reds have also made a move for Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez, with talks taking place about a deal of between £45m-£50m.

Liverpool, having won the 2024-25 Premier League title in manager Arne Slot’s first season, have sought to bolster their squad – and the level of their outlay is believed to have been helped by limiting their spending in previous transfer windows.

Last summer, they only added Italy winger Federico Chiesa, bought for £12.5m from Juventus, while Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili was signed from Valencia in a £29m deal which will involve him joining before the start of next season.

In terms of departures, Liverpool have sold Republic of Ireland keeper Caoimhin Kelleher to Brentford for an initial £12.5m, which could rise to £18m.

They have also lost England right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has joined Real Madrid.

Sources at Liverpool have indicated Real paid the Reds 10m euros (£8.4m) to release Alexander-Arnold early from his contract, which was scheduled to end on 30 June, so he could play at this month’s Club World Cup, although sources at the Spanish club have suggested they paid less than that.

Kevin de Bruyne has completed his move to Napoli after the Belgian midfielder left Manchester City at the end of the Premier League season.

De Bruyne will link up with former Chelsea and Tottenham manager Antonio Conte at the Italian champions after leaving City following a long and successful spell.

He rejected an offer from Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire to stay in European football, and the move means he will play in the Champions League next season.

Napoli announced the signing of the 33-year-old with a computer-generated image, external of De Bruyne sitting on a throne wearing a crown, captioned “King Kev is here”.

Marseille have reached an agreement in principle to sign England midfielder Angel Gomes on a free transfer.

The French club had been in talks to sign the 24-year-old, who announced in May that he would leave Lille when his contract expires this summer.

Premier League clubs Tottenham and West Ham were also linked with Gomes, but he has chosen to remain in Ligue 1.

Since joining from Manchester United in 2020, Gomes has scored 10 goals and provided 19 assists in 134 appearances for Lille.

He earned his first four senior caps for England under interim manager Lee Carsley last year, but has yet to feature under current boss Thomas Tuchel.

Manchester City have confirmed the signing of AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders for an initial fee of £46.5m on a five-year contract.

The Netherlands international is Pep Guardiola’s fourth summer signing with Rayan Ait-Nouri, Marcus Bettinelli and Rayan Cherki having also joined.

Reijnders, 26, was signed in time to be eligible for this month’s Club World Cup in America and could make his debut on 18 June against Wydad FC.

City decided not to pursue a deal for Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz owing to the cost of the deal.

Instead, they have signed Reijnders, Cherki, Bettinelli and Ait-Nouri for a total of around £108m, less than the reported 150m Euros (£127m) asking price for Germany international Wirtz.

The midfielder has been capped 22 times by the Netherlands but was left on the bench during Tuesday night’s 8-0 thrashing of Malta.

He scored 15 goals in 54 matches across all competitions for Milan last term and was named Serie A’s midfielder of the season.

With Kevin de Bruyne departing the club, Reijnders will strengthen the centre of the pitch for Guardiola as they look to improve on their third-placed Premier League finish last season.

Manchester City have agreed a 55m euros (£46.3m) deal with AC Milan for Netherlands midfielder Tijjani Reijnders.

The 26-year-old will sign a five-year contract at Etihad Stadium after agreeing personal terms with City.

The deal, which is subject to a medical, includes additional payments if certain clauses are met.

City hope to complete a deal for Reijnders in time for this month’s Club World Cup, which kicks off on 14 June.

His arrival will strengthen an area of the pitch that has been weakened by injury to Mateo Kovacic, who has been ruled out of the 32-team tournament in the United States after undergoing Achilles surgery.

Midfielder Kevin de Bruyne is also expected not to be involved in the tournament, with a move to Serie A champions Napoli looking increasingly likely.

Kirby is a generational talent who has played a major role in the growth of women’s football in England, as well as the success of the national team.

She became the first player from the WSL 2 to be called up to England’s senior squad in 2014 and impressed at the World Cup a year later, earning the nickname “mini Messi” from former boss Mark Sampson.

Playing as both an attacking midfielder and a wide forward, Kirby has entertained with trickery, creativity and unpredictability ever since.

Her experience shone through in 2022 as she started all six games during England’s success, complementing the youthful talent breaking through.

“I love working with her. Her touch, her positioning, her vision, her game-understanding and her connections,” said Wiegman.

“She has had an incredible career and it is still going on in the Women’s Super League. I am really proud of her and grateful I got to work with her.”

Kirby’s ability to turn a game on its head and produce a moment of magic is what led to her “mini Messi” nickname.

Former England manager Phil Neville said after a friendly win over Brazil in 2018, that he would “take my number 10 over Brazil’s” when comparing Kirby’s impact on the game to six-time World Player of the Year Marta’s.

And while she has been on the fringes of the England squad in recent times, she could always be relied upon to do the job being asked of her.

“I remember 10 years ago she got the nickname and rightly so, because she just lit up the stage in an England shirt,” said defender Lucy Bronze.

“I think all the players who now play for England probably dreamed of playing with Fran Kirby one day. She was that good.”

What is known is that Kevin de Bruyne played his final game against the Cottagers, bringing to an end a trophy-laden decade at the club.

There does not appear to be any way back for Kyle Walker, Kalvin Phillips and Maximo Perrone, who have all been out on loan this season.

Guardiola signed defenders Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis in January which could spell the end for the injury-prone duo of John Stones and Nathan Ake.

Goalkeeper Ederson was heavily-linked with a move to Saudi Arabia last summer and those rumours may resurface. Third-choice Scott Carson is out of contract this summer, while reports suggest midfielder Bernardo Silva wants a new challenge away from the Premier League.

And what about Ilkay Gundogan? The 34-year-old midfielder re-joined from Barcelona in the summer and has failed to hit the same heights as his first spell, but did score a stunning bicycle kick against Fulham.

It will be an important period of transition off the pitch too. Guardiola’s long-time associate Begiristain, who he has enjoyed so much success with at both City and Barcelona, will leave this summer and Viana has already started as the new director of football.

Qualifying for the Champions League is worth more than £100m for English teams and City are in a strong position to spend this summer, having posted a record revenue of £715m in their latest accounts, with an overall pre-tax profit of £73.8m.

One player they won’t be moving for – as this stage – is Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz owning to the cost of doing a deal, but Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White remains of interest while AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders has been heavily linked, external with a move to Etihad Stadium.

“I don’t have that feeling,” Guardiola said of a rebuild. “Maybe the club is a little different but I have 24 players and I saw them training the other day and said how good they are.

“New faces will come, especially in positions where we are weaker, but I don’t think a lot. We have players under contract who want to stay here and I don’t want a lot of players.”

City will be glad to see the back of a disappointing campaign but don’t have to wait long to make amends, returning to action in just 24 days’ time at the Club World Cup.

The land of opportunity awaits and may provide the first step to redemption for Guardiola and his men.

City have had a poor campaign, relinquishing hold of the Premier League trophy, exiting the Champions League in the last 16 and being stunned by Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final.

They end the season with a trip to Fulham on Sunday (kick-off 16:00 BST), knowing a point should clinch a Champions League place for next season.

But City have a quick turnaround this summer as they will be competing in the expanded Club World Cup, which starts in the US on 14 June.

“It’s obviously difficult because the lads are mentally drained from this season,” said Foden. “I believe everyone needs the right time to recover to go back to next season.

“Obviously there will be this competition that’s coming up. It’s going to be a funny one, some clubs will take it more seriously than others but I know City and the club we are, we’ll definitely take it seriously.”

Before that, manager Thomas Tuchel names his England squad on Friday for the World Cup qualifier in Andorra on 7 June and friendly against Senegal at Wembley three days later.

Asked if he needs to rest his ankle, Foden said: “Obviously it’s a difficult situation for me with the internationals right around the corner.

“It’s something we have to speak with the club and national team to see maybe if it’s better to rest and get my ankle fully 100% back how I want it.

“I just don’t know at the moment. It’s a conversation to be had and we’ll see what happens.”

Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure has announced he will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season.

The 32-year-old Mali player has made 165 appearances for the Toffees since joining from Watford for £20m in September 2020.

Doucoure has scored 21 goals for Everton, including a memorable winner in their 1-0 victory over Bournemouth when the club avoided relegation on the final day of the 2022-23 season.

He joins veteran midfielder Ashley Young and goalkeepers Asmir Begovic and Joao Virginia in leaving, while forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin, midfielder Idrissa Gueye and defenders Michael Keane and Seamus Coleman are also out of contract this summer.

In a video posted on social media, Doucoure said: “Hi Evertonians – just wanted to share this message with you that I’m going to leave the football club at the end of the season.

“After five wonderful years, my time at Everton came to an end.

“Everton means a lot for me. Obviously the past five years it’s been hard but I will always remember my time as a dream for me, to play for Everton Football Club.

“Obviously I’m sad to leave the club but I think the time has come for a new chapter for me and the club as well and I will always be grateful for what the club did for me.

“My best memory, I will say it will be the goal I scored against Bournemouth to keep the club in the Premier League. I think this is something I will always be proud [of]. It was a wonderful moment for me and my family and for the club as well.

“I will miss the fans. I will miss the football club. I just wanted to let them know that I gave everything every single time in training, in games.

“I was always proud to wear the shirts, always proud to play at Goodison Park.”

The midfielder looked emotional as he was substituted in the second half of Sunday’s 2-0 victory over Southampton – Everton’s final game at their Goodison Park home.

The Toffees will travel to Newcastle for their last match of the campaign this Sunday (16:00 BST) before relocating to their new Hill Dickinson Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.

Doucoure added: “I gave everything to win the most games I could and I will just miss the place, and I wish them all the best in the new stadium.

“Everton will always be part of my life now. I will be forever a Blue. I will always support Everton and I hope they’re going to have a bright future.”

Departing midfielder Kevin de Bruyne will receive a farewell from Manchester City after his final home game against Bournemouth on Tuesday.

The Belgian announced last month he will leave City after 10 years when his contract expires at the end of the season.

The 33-year-old has won 16 trophies since joining from Bundesliga club Wolfsburg in 2015, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2023.

De Bruyne, though, missed the opportunity to bring his City career to a dream finish when they lost Saturday’s FA Cup final against Crystal Palace.

Manager Pep Guardiola did not confirm whether De Bruyne would start against Bournemouth, saying: “Kevin will get what he deserves. That is the best compliment for his incredible trajectory.

“What he has done with other legends in the club, it would not have been possible since Sheikh Mansour took over the club to reach another level.”

The game will be his last at Etihad Stadium and he will be afforded a guard of honour from team-mates at coaches at full-time.

De Bruyne will give a short speech on the pitch and be presented with gifts by the wife and son of late club legend Colin Bell, before heading on a lap of appreciation with the other players.

City end the campaign with a trip to Fulham on Sunday (16:00 BST), which is likely to be De Bruyne’s last game for the club.

The side compete in this summer’s Club World Cup in the USA, which starts on 14 June, but De Bruyne said he “probably” will not play in the tournament for City as injury could scupper plans to find a new club.

Match of the Day 2 pundit Martin Keown compares Declan Rice to David Beckham after the England international scores with a curling strike from outside the box in Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Newcastle at the Emirates.

The win confirms a second-place finish in the Premier League and Champions League football next season for the Gunners.

MATCH REPORT: Arsenal 1-0 Newcastle

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Inter Miami have relinquished their option to hold talks with departing Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne – leaving Chicago Fire in pole position to sign him should he decide to move to Major League Soccer.

Miami had the 33-year-old on their ‘discovery list’, meaning they were the only MLS team able to negotiate with him in the United States.

They had until mid-July to decide whether to hold talks but sources have told BBC Sport they will not pursue his signing meaning De Bruyne will not link up with Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets.

Chicago now have the first option to speak to De Bruyne, who announced in April he would be leaving City when his current deal expires at the end of the season.

Sources say De Bruyne’s representatives are to meet with Chicago, who are currently 11th in the Eastern Conference.

The Belgian later said he was surprised not to be offered a new contract by the club.

De Bruyne has won 16 trophies at Etihad Stadium, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2023.