Transfer latest and England prepare for Italy

0:00In a world where AI is changing every role in every industry, knowing who actually has deep expertise matters more than ever. Upwork connects you with the highly skilled freelance professionals with proven track records, so you can hire with confidence. Upwork gives your business fast access to highly skilled specialists with deep expertise, so you can fill critical skill gaps, launch projects faster, and scale support up or down without committing to full-time headcount. With Business Plus, you can access the top 1 % of talent on Upwork. AI-powered shortlisting delivers a curated shortlist of top freelancers matched to your goals in under six hours.

0:36No endless searching required. Thousands of growing businesses already trust Upwork to hire highly skilled freelance professionals for everything from one-off projects to ongoing support. It's free to sign up, and posting a job is easy. Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free. That is Upwork.com to connect with top talent ready to help your business grow. That's U-P-W-O-R-K dot com, Upwork dot com. I'm Jake Stouck, co-founder and CEO of Serval. We built Serval to automate the IT work that slows companies down. Onboarding, password resets, access to applications, my laptop stopped working.

1:13While employees wait for help, their real work is put on hold. IT desperately wants to automate this work, and that's why they need Serval. You just tell Serval what you want to automate in plain English, and it's built. No drag and drop workflows, no expensive consultants. Employees get unblocked and IT teams go from drowning in tickets to building what actually matters. With Serval, IT becomes the AI engine powering the entire company. This is a new way to run IT. We guarantee you'll automate 50 % of all tickets and we'll prove it to you in a free four-week pilot. Go to serval.com slash tickets.

1:51That's S-E-R-V-A-L dot com slash tickets.

2:21so far? Will Leah Williamson and Lucy Bronze be fit to start the match? And crucially, are Italy as good as Germany's Anne-Katrine Berger at taking penalties? All that to come on today's show and we'll be reviewing the latest news and transfers from the rest of the footballing world too. I'm Tom Clark and joining me today we have the former footballer turned journalist Gregor Robertson and the women's football reporter for the Times and Sunday Times, Kit Shepard. Morning Kit, how are we doing? Good morning. I'm very well, thank you. Just about to head from Zurich to Geneva. So hopefully a nice scenic Swiss train journey ahead this afternoon.

2:57Excellent. Well, thank you very much for joining us for the first half of this show. Now, first thing we're going to want to talk about and get it here from you, you're heading to see an open training session this afternoon, I believe. We'll obviously be hoping that we'll see Lucy Bronze and Leah Williamson out there with the ball at their feet what what's the latest from the england camp yes i think the biggest question mark is over williamson she left first day's course final against sweden uh in crutches and with a protective boot um we've been told that was just precautionary measure and that's kind of the last official update we've had but that doesn't that doesn't seem ideal four days before a semi-final we did hear from Esme Morgan on Saturday saying that she was very optimistic that Williamson, the England captain, would be fit for Tuesday against Italy.

3:47So we'll see. That's certainly positive that she's able to say that, but still I reiterate, crutches in a boob four days before a game does not seem ideal. So yeah, we should hopefully get some answers either at open training later today or at Serena Vigman's press conference this evening about the state of the England captain. And yeah, as you say, there are so many other injuries in that extra time period on Thursday with Lucy Bronze strapping up her leg. We'll see what situation she's in. Lauren James hurt her ankle, Alex Green with her shoulder. I think the last two probably will be fine. But maybe on Bronze and Cersei and Williamson, there are question marks going into the game tomorrow.

4:27Gregor, putting national pride aside, obviously, your rules are always that, you know, you're happy to cheer England on as long as they get, once they get to the final, then your kind of Scottish loyalties come to the fore. You must have at least been enjoying the heroic Lucy Bronze performance as a fellow fullback.

4:42Gregor Robertson: God, yeah, yeah. I have to say, you know, after covering the Euros, the last Euros, I think my rule changes when the women's team are involved because I got so invested in that triumph last time. And I've really enjoyed watching it this time as well. And yeah, Lucy Bronze just like, the strength of character is extraordinary even her penalty she just lashed in and then the sort of roar that felt like the moment it all changed you know England were down and out in that penalty shootout and then Lucy Broughton's again the kind of force of personality just seemed to sort of catalyse something and somehow they won it so yeah she's been extraordinary again she has been for England for so long Is this a quiet reveal that actually your daughters have been getting behind this and now actually they're going to be asking dad for england shirts is this what we're you're about to reveal to me no oh come on come on i mean listen they were born in england listen they can they can choose to support the lionesses if they want um kit in terms of just other issues that to to discuss from the england camp obviously the very very upsetting news uh about jess carter and the racial abuse that she has suffered on social media england have said that they're going to stop taking the knee before these games.

5:59Just give us a little bit of an overview for listeners who might not have seen this story. Yeah, so it emerged yesterday afternoon, Sunday afternoon, that Jess Carter had received racial abuse over social media during the tournament. And as a result, she's going to step away from social media in England, who have been taking the knee before each game here in Switzerland are no longer going to do that. They believe that that gesture's no longer having a desired effect as an anti-racism gesture and they would point to the abuse Carter's still getting as evidence of that perspective. And they feel that by stopping doing it, it's almost a gesture in itself that more needs to be done by social media platforms and by everyone I feel to remember that we're far from solving this issue and it needs real targeted and complex and thoughtful solutions to what was a problem what was a massive problem and yeah it's a stance they will take from tomorrow night against Italy.

7:07Yeah the FA confirming the police and the appropriate bodies have been contacted but did not say why it was not prepared to identify the platforms on which the abuse took place. I'm sure we'll hear a bit more on this matter from England head coach Serena Wiegmann you can read that on the Times website now Kit Serena Wiegmann will also be asked lots and lots of questions about Italy and England's performances throughout this tournament I touched on it in the intro this inconsistency that you and Izzy Christensen highlighted in our preview shows it's been a little bit prominent in this tournament so far but by my simple logic last game wasn't a great game they're all ready for a brilliant 4-0 win against Italy this is how it works with this England team in the last year hasn't it One good game, one bad game.

7:48Yeah, fair enough. They have been inconsistent. And yeah, they can't play much worse than they did in the first half, at least against Sweden. And I do think Italy isn't quite the same challenge as Sweden were. They're not as physical. They're a bit more of a conservative team when it comes to stuff like pressing, which I think will suit England. England will have more of the ball. and I think it's a sort of game where if England can get an early goal, they could go and win it to Canada. Having said all that, all the normal caveats about this is knockout football, this is a semi-final, the stakes are going to be so high that that may well level the playing field and also Italy have probably defied expectations to get to the semi-finals and they'll be thinking, we've got nothing to lose, let's have a go at an England team that's showing vulnerabilities in Switzerland and see what happens.

8:41England are favourites, but Italy definitely capable of causing an upset. Gregor, what have you made? You said you've been following the tournament closely. What have you made of England's performances overall? Do you think, you know, I've obviously talked about the inconsistencies there. Do they look like that team that you and everyone got so behind three years ago that could go on and win it?

9:00Gregor Robertson: No, I wouldn't say that you could argue that. No, I mean, I think Kit summed up in his match report brilliantly, the Sweden game. It was kind of, they were abysmal for two thirds of the game and then something, when they get sparked into life, then they're a match for any team in the continent. Spain are the outlier. It's been really interesting to see the development or the changes in the way that the game's evolved a bit since the last tournament, I think. Certainly attacking quality has climbed on course to be the highest scoring European Championship since, I think it's since 1997 and that's, you know, obviously the game has transformed in that period of time.

9:46Gregor Robertson: So, like, lots more goals. Pressing is still a really sort of important part of the game, but teams seem to be much more clinical and Italy are a bit of an outlier in that as well. He has to say Spain are the one team that kind of dominate possession and it's all pass, pass, pass. Italy have the fifth lowest average possession, but they're really quick on the break. So it will, as Kit said, it will be a very different sort of proposition this game. England will, in a likelihood, dominate possession. It's how they can break down Italy's defensive block and also be wary to the threat they pose on the counter.

10:24Gregor Robertson: I don't think... Sorry, back to your question. It's been very different to the last tournament. England were... There were games where England were absolutely irresistible and then there are games like the victory against Spain where they just felt like there was something in the water. It felt like the tournament on home soil moments of inspiration from individuals. Georgia Stanway, for example, just kind of propelled them forwards and the same was true in the final. It does feel like they're having to dig a bit deeper still in this tournament so far. Kit would you agree Gregor there talked about some of what we might expect from Italy in a little bit more detail would you agree with his assessment about maybe sitting a bit deeper and looking to hit England on the counter and if so do England need to change their approach for this game at all need to change personnel perhaps yeah Italy kind of like to sit off teams when they don't have the ball or at least not really press the opposition back line that high and when they're in possession they do like to use the wide areas a bit like Sweden, but they kind of used long balls and aerial long balls to get to that position.

11:39So those are kind of the key differences out of the quarterfinal. To the point of what should England change, I actually think in kind of midfield and forward areas, they shouldn't change too much as poor as they were against Sweden. I think the likes of Chloe Kelly and Michelle Agimant did brilliantly, of course, off the bench. last Thursday, but that was a very specific set of circumstances where the game just descended into chaos. And it's not, that's, that's not how it's going to be, at least from the start on Tuesday. And also I think both those players, especially probably Chloe Kelly, really thrive of being in a bench role and coming on and being England's savior.

12:20And yeah, just, just relish that responsibility. I would potentially look at changing the defense up as well. They'll have to if Williamson's not fit, but even if she is, I think there's a case for bringing Esme Morgan into the starting 11. She played well off the bench last Thursday. And maybe even Niamh Charles as well as left back. She also defended almost uncharacteristically well, as harsh as it is to say against Sweden, because she has had some criticism for that previously, but she defended well. So yeah, the defense, yeah, I'd focus on changing and obviously the horrific stuff we've talked about with Jess Carter is just another little challenge for Vigand, I guess, because if she was considering dropping caster before, how does she factor in what emerged yesterday into her decision?

13:08It's a very difficult dilemma for a head coach to have, I suppose. Yeah, absolutely. Gregor, just on that defence there, Kit's talked about changes. How easy is it to make changes in defence because you've talked on the show many times about partnerships and knowing who you're playing with. that is quite a challenge in itself isn't it to make tweaks and constant changes to who's playing left back who's playing left centre back and as Kit says if Leo Williamson's injured as well that is going to be a test for England isn't it?

13:37Gregor Robertson: Yeah I mean partnerships are important obviously in an ideal world you want to have a settled defence but this is part and parcel of tournament football and it's an opportunity for someone else to step in so I wouldn't be too worried about that I think England need to play the team that's going to make them like less to be solid at the back. And a lot of it is going to be about dealing with the transition moments. And there's also been sort of uncharacteristic sloppiness as well, I think, in some of the moments. Sometimes England have been creating their own problems with a loose pass at the back or things like that.

14:15Gregor Robertson: And I think that's something that needs to be stamped out if they're to progress, really, because the last thing they want to do is be given Italy the opportunity to have something to hold on to. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, one thing we won't be hoping for, I don't think, and Kit, you'd be the same on this, is a penalty shootout. We saw another absolutely bonkers game as Germany beat France in another remarkable quarterfinal and Katrin Berger, the Germany goalkeeper, the hero, on lots of levels, but mainly for stepping up and scoring her penalty. Kit, just tell us quickly a little bit about her and Gregor, then I'm going to ask you about the pressure of taking penalties in big moments.

14:50yeah so first of all she's got an incredible story she's beaten fire eye cancer twice at dan katrenberger which is just it's inspirational to see her performing at the absolute pinnacle now um she was at chelsea she's actually um i have to check this i believe she's engaged to jess carter they're certainly in a relationship together um from when they're both at chelsea and now both at gopham in america together um but yeah on the pitch that was an incredible goalkeeping performance, the saves in the shootout, the incredible save in extra time where it was going over her shoulder and she just left back and clawed out.

15:26And then, yeah, knocking a penalty in herself was pretty much the perfect goalkeeper performance. Yeah, absolutely. It certainly was. Gregor, Kit talking there about the penalties, and obviously I'm referencing that England performance as well. So much is being made around these shootouts and around missing and pressure coming on. You know, you quite proudly talked about liking the pressure as a player and taking penalties in shootouts how much of that mentality and that psychology point of view does play a part in when you're stepping up to take a penalty because a lot of people are going oh there's such poor penalties they've not struck them properly but actually maybe we're we you know us idiots who've never played the game before it's very easy to stay until you're stood up there going christ this is a penalty shootout i really need to score this i'm just interested in that

16:10Gregor Robertson: psychological element yeah i mean i think i think you could look you could take uh folk the sweden goalkeeper as an example. She was extraordinary because you really haven't got anything to lose when you're a goalkeeper facing penalty kicks and she looked like when she was facing everyone she was absolutely confident she was going to score and then she stepped up to take the penalty that could have won it and blazed it over the bar. She looked like she was tightened up and stiffened and it was a different it was a completely different action and aspect. It's not something that was natural although obviously there have been a number of examples of goalkeepers stepping up to take these but psychology is everything in penalties I mean you can talk about technique but everyone on this stage is capable absolutely of taking a penalty kick and putting it where they want it to put the ball where they want it to go but when you do it in front of watching millions and thousands inside a stadium and you know the weight of the pressure of the moment that changes everything and it makes the body seize up and the mind kind of take you into difficult places.

17:19Gregor Robertson: So that's overcoming that. That is the hardest part of taking a penalty kick. And clearly a lot of the players involved in this tournament haven't been able to do that. Yeah, well, let's hope. We've had our penalty fun and drama, I think, for England. I think, Kit, I'm sure you'll agree with me on that. Let's just finish then. Kit, we've talked about predictions very quickly with Izzy Christensen on the last show last week. Have your thoughts changed around this game? what you expect to see and then maybe give us a score just to wrap it up and Gregor I am coming to you for a prediction it's been far too long so get ready with a good answer I expect England to dominate the ball tomorrow I expect it to be a slightly slower paced game than Thursday and I think they will win 3-0 if Leah Williamson plays and 2-0 if she doesn't I think that's too strong for Italy.

18:07One thought just before I go to Gregor Kit is one person we very very quickly mentioned at the end of the last show was Michelle Adjumang. Do you expect her to play another part off the bench? There's no room in which she's the world in which she starts because I always I felt England look better when she's on the pitch. Oh no I think there's certainly a world where she could start and she's absolutely good enough to start. I think the only counterpoint I'd make to that is or a few counterpoints um they she's quite a similar profile of strike to alessia russo who i can't see serena viegman dropping and so maybe maybe russo and azimane can play together but it doesn't seem the most natural fit on paper they both like to kind of drop deep and wide and play up their back to goal and maybe it can work but i feel i just feel like it's the sort of thing that want to maybe experiment with in a in a lower stakes game first than just try it in a semi-final where i think you'll be favorites even if just one of them started which would probably be ruso so we are yes i'd love to see ajman and ruso together it'd be fascinating i still think ajman off the bench in a kind of in case of emergency break glass sort of player is it is a perfectly fine role for now and she's she's making a habit of doing brilliant lead within it both in this tournament and in her very short England career as a whole.

19:29Gregor Robertson: Also you've got to remember Russo kind of played a sort of similar role in 2022 and despite coming on and being a really big impact player, he kind of stayed in that role. So I think Serena Vigman knows what she likes she knows her best team and what she thinks her best team is and she knows she often goes into a tournament she does go into tournaments sort of outlining to each player what your role is going to be within the squad, whether you're going to be a a finisher, the difference maker from the bench. And that's been Adjumang's role so far. And if she continues to do it and that takes England to victory, she'll be happy with that too.

20:03Yeah, so are we all tipping Michelle Adjumang to come off the bench and score then? I mean, I've said it a couple of times this tournament already. I just want to put that out there. Gregor, what's your prediction for this game?

20:12Gregor Robertson: Yeah, I think it'll be quite tight. I think it'll be 2-1. I'm still not seeing England's defence being convincing. I think it'll be quite tight, but I think England will come through 2-1 no more penalties hopefully no more penalties hopefully I think you're right it could be tight early on it might be 0-0 at half time but then off the bench come the super subs Adjumang and Chloe Kelly to get the job done 2-0 England we will see you can read the latest from the England camp from Kit Shepard and James Gearbrand on the Times website now Kit I'm going to let you go and watch that open training and get to those press conferences that you need to thank you very much Gregor stick with us we're going to talk about some transfers next and I'm going to ask you the quiz question which is, who am I talking about when I say, a former footballer who played for Sampdoria, Parma, Lazio, Manchester United, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Estudiantes and in 2001 was the British record transfer at£28.1 million.

21:06Find out after the break.

21:22Gregor Robertson: Now is the time to make a real change in your life, career, and community. At Walden University, we give you the support and flexibility to get the W. Walden's online programs are designed for working professionals like you. You'll gain hands-on skills to take on real-world challenges and succeed. Your future is waiting, and Walden is here to help you achieve it. Take the first step to make your impact. Visit waldenu.edu. Walden University. Set a course for change. Certified to operate by Shev. In a world where AI is changing every role in every industry, knowing who actually has deep expertise matters more than ever.

22:00Upwork connects you with the highly skilled freelance professionals with proven track records so you can hire with confidence. Upwork gives your business fast access to highly skilled specialists with deep expertise so you can fill critical skill gaps, launch projects faster, and scale support up or down without committing to full-time headcount. With Business Plus, you can access the top 1 % of talent on Upwork. AI-powered shortlisting delivers a curated shortlist of top freelancers matched to your goals in under six hours. No endless searching required. Thousands of growing businesses already trust Upwork to hire highly skilled freelance professionals for everything from one-off projects to ongoing support.

22:38It's free to sign up, and posting a job is easy. Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free. That is Upwork.com to connect with top talent ready to help your business grow. That's U-P-W-O-R-K dot com. Upwork dot com. Back to school is busy enough. The last thing you need is shopping that makes it harder. Whether you're moving into a dorm, your first apartment, or just getting organized for the semester, Wayfair makes it easy to get everything you need in one place. Furniture, bedding, storage, decor, study essentials, all at prices you'll love. With fast shipping before move-in day.

23:16Get everything you need for back to school season. Shop Wayfair.com today.

23:31Welcome back to the Game Football Podcast from The Times. I'm Tom Clark and I've got Gregor Roberts with me. Kit Shepard is headed off, but the big man is still here with us. Still got the answers to the quiz questions, which was? Baron. Juan Sebastian Veyron very good you were very quick on that one actually shows you've been practicing in pre-season which is all important now there's big transfer news for us to run through lots of topics to cover Hugo Ektique, Newcastle and Alexander Izak Victor Giocherez, Brian Mbwemo but let's start with Marcus Rashford on his way as we speak on this Monday morning to Barcelona to seal a loan move to the Catalan club from Manchester United Gregor I don't know about you I find this a bit bonkers I find this slightly fascinating because Paul Hurst and Charlotte Dunker have been talking to me and have said it on this podcast you know Rashford kind of fancies Barcelona and like when the hell who doesn't like of course I'd love to go to Barcelona yeah it'd be nice wouldn't it when you were weighing up Crewe or Chesterfield actually I quite fancy Barcelona but it is remarkable how this has all kind of panned out for him and listen good luck to him I hope he really does well because it would be a wonderful thing to see a lad from Manchester blowing it up at Barcelona and looking brilliant but it's not necessarily for me justified a move to Barcelona it's really interesting reading Ian Hawkey's piece on the Times website right now which calls Rashford Barcelona's plan C but Ian Hawkey says he thinks they might be the perfect match what do you reckon?

25:01Gregor Robertson: Yeah well it is fascinating yeah I mean plan C Nico Williams was their plan A obviously and there was a basically they can't afford to pay a transfer fee. The same with Luis Diaz, who there's been a lot of interest in at Liverpool. And Barcelona are in a very strange situation. They've been for a number of years where they are hugely hamstrung by their debt, which I think is something ridiculous, like€3 billion now. And you have to get someone off the wage bill before they can sign someone else. And even then, actually, there have been instances, Danny Elmore last year, who when he's signed, they can't register him.

25:44Gregor Robertson: So even if Rashford signs, there could be another one of those periods where he's in limbo before they have to get someone off the wage bill before they can register him as a player. It's so tight, the salary cost protocols in the Spanish league now. So there's that. That's basically why, as we've seen, does Rashford feel like he deserves this? he's deserved of this kind of move probably not if this had been five years ago or a bit longer and Barcelona could have spent a bit more money they probably would have gone for somebody else but also you would have to say Rashford wouldn't have been at a different point in his career and there could have been a big club who'd come calling with a big transfer fee ready to pay a lot of money for a player in his prime so it's a funny one for several reasons but will it work out?

26:40Gregor Robertson: You know, he's still a hugely talented player and I think there's still a lot of goodwill towards Rashford and a lot of people want him to be a success and he's joining a team that's got a hugely dynamic and pacey forward line already, a forward line he'll have to work hard to get into but on paper Rashford suits that, if he can do the off the ball stuff that Hansi Flick will you know, is a non-negotiable, you know, in terms of pressing, when he's part of a team that play forward so quickly and so dynamically, then yeah, it could work. But it is strange. It does feel a little bit kind of like he's lucked out, to be brutally honest.

27:23Yeah, and listen, as you say, no one would begrudge him it. And as you say, I think he's still, people want him to succeed and want to see Marcus Rashford playing brilliantly because when he is and when he's tearing down a wing, taking players on, it's one of the more exciting and more old school sites in football, just a winger or an attacking forward going at the defence like that. But it's also for me, the slight nature of it where you'd have thought if when he burst onto the scene, Marcus Rashford moving to Barcelona would be for a like 90 million pounds, huge move. And it's kind of like shuffling off.

27:53And also from a Manchester United point of view as well, I think there's also this side of it where actually Barcelona might end up going, well that was a pretty good deal for us overall if by the end of the season he scored 15 20 goals and played a big part in any success they've had barcelona fans i'm sure we'll be very fond of him i'm sure he will have a great time but what do you think about the manchester united side of things where again they're not managing to sell a player but yes they are getting the wages which paul hurst and charlotte dunca reporting is going to be 17 million pounds a year off the wage budget and off the budget overall.

28:26Is that a good deal for Manchester United?

28:29Gregor Robertson: It's got to be because there were a lot of, you know, a lot of the summer's been spent with people thinking who on earth is going to pay that and who's going to, you know, or else, you know, Man Utd is still going to have to pay half their wages. So that's, you know, that's another part of this. They gave them a five-year contract, I think in 2023 on huge money, like 325 ,000 a week or 375 ,000 a week, something like that. And not many teams can afford to pay that. Barcelona can like in theory if they pull their levers correctly financial levers what they couldn't afford to do was put down the money or have an outlay for a transfer fee there will be an option to buy for like I think it's just under 40 million next summer and I think it also comes back to Rashford it says something about the fact that no one really is willing to pay that kind of money to buy him either obviously he would have to he would have to give up some of his salary but it's just it's kind of a transfer born from circumstance involving all parties Barcelona's circumstances Manchester United sort of the fact that he's fallen out with the manager and it feels like his time at the club has come to an end and he has to move on and Manchester United also being in the position they are finishing 15th in the league or whatever and Rashford's sort of fall from the heights that he once hit and I sort of desire to get his career back on track so it could work out for everyone it could work out that he scores goals and possibly Barcelona make the move permanent Manchester United have opened up some of their wage bill to make another sign in and Rashford might be able to get his career back on track let's hope.

30:17Yeah well we'll see if one man who can step into the shoes of Marcus Rashford is Brian Mbomo. United finally, it seems, getting their man after agreeing a deal worth£71 million. A bit toppy, Gregor? I don't know. I really, really like Brian Mbomo. I think he could be a brilliant player for Manchester United. £71 million feels like Brentford have got quite a good deal. Am I wrong? Or is£71 million about what you have to pay for a player like Brian Mbomo these days?

30:49Gregor Robertson: What is toppy these days? I mean, what is kind of slightly hilarious, actually, is that United's bid 45 million to start with. 45 million plus 10 million in potential add-ons. And now they're up to 65 plus 5. So that's quite a big gap they had to bridge. And Brentford weren't moving. I think they pointed to the fact that people like Madueke were going for the best part of 50. looking around at the rest of the market and some other transfers this summer and seeing that Brian Mbemble scored 20 goals, got 7 assists. He's got into double figures for goals and assists in each of his seasons in the Premier League with Brentford.

31:36Gregor Robertson: He's 25, he's still a good age, sort of entering his prime. They felt entitled to sort of hold on for more. And also, Man United, they're sort of track record at haggling and doing these deals and it's not been good for a number of years so I think Brentford were also able to look around and say who else are you going to sign you know you clearly want them pay the money and Brentford have played it very well They certainly have we'll see how Brian Mbomo gets on at Manchester United just a final Manchester United story from last week just to make sure listeners spotted this an exclusive from Paul Hurst Gregor about Manchester United's revamped training ground which has cost around £150 million, but the thing that was catching the interest of most of the readers on the Times website is the fact that the training ground includes its very own barbers.

32:27That's right, the very own barbers so that the players can look trim and fresh at all times. Now listen, you've talked before about players always wanting to look good, always wanting to follow the trends, and we know that we see on social media this time, these days, sorry, about players always looking at their absolute best before appearing on Sky or TNT and things like that. This is a real step book there isn't it having a barbers on the training ground you know what the one when i went

32:52Gregor Robertson: to ecuador to do the story about moises caissero the club their independiente del valle they had a barbers that was the first time i'd ever seen it really yeah in the sort of senior men's block they had because there's a huge campus there and there's like you know vast academy and then there was the the first team men's change rooms block and they had they had one there and i was there were some pretty outrageous haircuts in there first team I have to say but anyway yeah this is kind of this is taking it to new heights I know you know I know there are it's quite commonplace now for teams to get a barber in into the club to do their haircuts and stuff but not to not to have a specially built sort of barbers within it you know I think Manchester United have probably got bigger issues just now but it's all about making players happy these days isn't it?

33:48Gregor Robertson: Anything they can do to make players happy they will do. Absolutely, well I mean we talked with Paul Hurst about Manchester City when they won their last title, Paul Hurst said it was all down to them hiring a barista to make their own coffee for them so that the players are all happy so yeah as you say making sure Manchester United players are looking fresh and nice and trim for the new season. Let's get back to transfers, Hugo Eketike, the Eintracht Frankfurt forward we believe very close to joining Liverpool with Gary Jacob reporting that Liverpool closing in on a deal that could be worth around£82 million.

34:24Gregor this is a bit of a saga that's gone on for about a week now involving Alexander Izak who of course is at Newcastle currently missed their friendly game against Celtic with Eddie Howe saying he was taking him out of the spotlight. What have you made of these two players being linked with moves linked with Liverpool linked with staying where do you see it going what do you think of the potential fallout from it

34:45Gregor Robertson: I think it was kind of it was really interesting it felt like a big sort of power play by Liverpool in terms of putting down a very big bid for for Isak who clearly they would very much like to to sign but I think probably deep down knew that Newcastle weren't going to sell and that kind of and then when you're competing competing for Iketiki with Newcastle it sort of changed the dynamic and you know Ekotiki we led to believe was obviously keen to go to Liverpool as well but it was almost like right you can hold on to your main guy but we're going to take over here now so it felt like a big power play Liverpool have like made big moves in the transfer market this summer you know the old adage to sort of build from a position of strength and they've certainly done that I think this would take their spending above 250 million so you know unheard of numbers really for Liverpool you're talking about a big part of their journey and their story has been about selling well and making big signings as and when but a lot of players have come into and been developed this is a sort of changing tack these are players that are young with room for development but they're also a lot of money and they've been very successful recently Ekotiki's 22 goals last season and 12 assists they're big numbers but he's also, he does look like a good fit for a Liverpool team in that he he's big, he's dynamic and he's sort of a bit of a transition player a lot of his goals are are kind of bursting behind the defence opposition defence and that's the kind of word I would use, dynamic he looks like a very dynamic forward who kind of lead the line and finish well So, yeah, it's been interesting, but I think the Isak move felt like a sort of almost a tactical ploy.

36:46Gregor Robertson: They would have loved to send Isak, but I think probably they knew they weren't going to. It's very interesting, isn't it, looking at the Newcastle situation of where had a great season last season. And as you said about Liverpool building from a position of strength, Newcastle fans would have loved the idea of building from last season as well. But there's part of me that thinks if they end up starting next season with Alexander Izak who, you know, given Erling Haaland's dips in form, was probably the best striker in the Premier League. They start the season with him and maybe as Martin Hardy has reported in recent weeks with a new deal, maybe give him the number nine shirt, all that kind of stuff, you know, be a hero for another few seasons.

37:24Will that not be a good summer anyway, even if they've failed to maybe make huge signings as much as they have added Anthony Alanga, of course?

37:31Gregor Robertson: Yeah, I mean, look, I think if you gave Eddie Howe, an option to make whatever sign-ins I think his number one choice would be to make sure Isak was still at the club because he's someone who is almost irreplaceable he's right at the top of anyone's list if they have the disposable money to sign a centre forward he's top of the list right now so yeah, keeping him at the club would be the biggest piece of business for Newcastle But undoubtedly, on top of that, they do need to strengthen because when they got to this point a couple of years back and they made the Champions League, it became much more difficult in the Premier League.

38:15Gregor Robertson: I say this all the time. It's so hard to make the step in the first place into the Champions League reckoning. But then to stay there and to compete on all fronts is another challenge still. And they do undoubtedly need to add numbers and answer quality in certain key areas. Alanga's a good signing, I think he's a good fit because of his pace and sort of directness and I'd say his ability to press and to be sort of one of the players that's in your face and leads from the front leads sort of Newcastle's defending from the front I think he's got all the makings of being a really good fit but again he's someone whose numbers his goal scoring numbers certainly aren't all that great and And Isak is the man that they'll rely on to score the goals.

39:04Gregor Robertson: They're still going to need someone else to be able to lead the line though because he can't play the entire campaign on all fronts next season. Yeah, absolutely. But I still think if they're starting the season with that midfield trio of Tonali, Jolinton and Guimares, then they've got Alanga, Isak and Gordon ahead of them. I think that's pretty strong. I'd be excited if I was a Newcastle fan. If you are a Newcastle fan and you've got views on the transfer dealings of the summer get in touch with me tom.clark at the times.co.uk Gregor just a couple more to wrap up we're speaking about strikers there of course the big one that everyone has been waiting for to find out will he come won't he come where will he end up Victor Jokeres the Swedish striker 27 years of age we believe any day now any week now any month now Arsenal fans have been sat there refreshing their phones refreshing their websites thinking when on earth will we announce this huge huge signing that we've been so desperate for for so long.

39:58You have done a background, a profile. Did it three weeks ago. About nine months ago at my request. Right, Gregor, we need to get ready for this Victor Giocares signing. It's been sat in the hold queue. We're waiting for it any day now.

40:11Gregor Robertson: You better sign, I'm telling you. It's a really good profile as well, Arsenal fans, I'm telling you. Once he signs, get on the Times website and read this profile from Gregor Robertson. It tells you absolutely everything you need to know. Or whether he goes somewhere else, Gregor, I promise you, we'll publish it anyway. but tell us tell the listeners a little bit about what they can expect if and when Victor de Gokerez signs for Arsenal I mean first of all relief like from everyone I think no one wants to hear about this anymore oh my god no it's extraordinary I know like the insatiable appetite for transfers is a big part of modern football and it's like this industry within that industry but this has been something else you know like you're constantly there's constantly kind of being drip fed bits from different camps and sort of, you know, in terms of fees and what's needed and the deal being close to collapse and someone else going to hijack it and, you know, Giorgis going on strike and all.

41:05Gregor Robertson: My God, it's just never been never ending. I mean, I think the first thing is relief for everyone, but most of all for Arsenal fans, because, you know, even putting all that aside and Arsenal fans are certainly right at the top of the pile in terms of this frenzy for the desire for signings. Right at the top of that pile as well has been a striker, a number nine, and he is an out-and-out number nine centre-forward, a battering ram of a footballer. There's doubts, there's kind of question marks about him because he's never played in a top five league in Europe even. He was obviously a big success in the championship with Coventry a few years back, just got to the playoff final with them, so very nearly made it to the Premier League.

41:53Gregor Robertson: They lost on penalty kicks to Luton, so he went to Sporting at that point. He'd been at Brighton earlier in his career, but didn't get an opportunity in the first team, really, apart from in cup competitions. But since he joined Sporting, I mean, I would actually say since his move, his loan move from Brighton to Coventry was made permanent, he's been on an upward trajectory. And that must be four years ago now. he's just I spoke to people there who said that once the faith was put in him, he was only signed for a million quid that's four years ago once the faith was put in him to lead the line for Coventry be their number nine, he looked like a different player, it's like he needs that faith and he scored a lot of goals in the championship the same kind of faith was placed in him at Sporting and he scored a ridiculous number of goals, the other question mark there is, I think it's 97 goals in 102 games.

42:50Gregor Robertson: Extraordinary. But if you go by Optus Power Rankings that kind of rank the leagues in the world, it's eighth. So this is not a major league. There are four or five teams in it who are very strong teams in Portugal. But then there are other teams that would rank in sort of League One level. So he scored a lot of goals against them. so there is a question mark about making the step up the level and it's going to be a big step up but he is a hugely powerful centre forward and he is an out and out centre forward and that's what Arsenal have craved I would also say that all the sort of drama and the saga that has been going on over the summer and even longer will add to the pressure on him there's going to be pressure there's going to be pressure anyway whoever Arsenal sign as a number 9 there's going to be enormous pressure on them because I looked back they signed Gabriel Jesus in I think 2022 and then you have to go all the way back to Aubameyang and Lacazette who were both signed in 2017-18 they've not really signed an out-and-out striker apart from Gabriel Jesus and you could even argue that he is someone who drops in and plays a slightly different role they've not signed one for six, seven years and we've played Kai Havertz there for a long time and he's scored goals but a lot of fans are saying he's not happy with the fact that he's the guy who is leading the line, they've had to play obviously Michael Marino there last season when Kai Havertz was injured even Trossard at times it's been a big hole a big obvious kind of hole in the team for a long long time, add on top of that all of the all of this saga and the pressure is enormous so you know it's something that Giocares is going to have to handle and he's going to have to you know it's a bit of a cliche if you want to hit the ground running but he really is going to have to be a success quickly or else the pressure will rise even more Yeah absolutely Arsenal fans I promise you this profile is 10 out of 10 make sure you check out the Times website as soon as this deal is announced if and when it is announced we have to say if and when just in case it doesn't happen but it is a cracking profile from Gregor Robertson so make sure you check it out.

45:11Gregor, just one final one to quickly mention. Gary Jacobs reporting on the Times website that Manchester City are in talks to re-sign James Trafford from Burnley with Edison's future unclear. Paul Hirsch reporting about links with Edison and a move to Galatasaray on Friday. James Trafford is someone who's been linked with a move to Newcastle. Martin Hardy wrote a brilliant profile of him on the Times website earlier in the summer. this would be a bit of a remarkable turnaround for James Trafford if he were to start this Premier League season as a Manchester City goalkeeper given how he was perceived in his last appearance in the Premier League as much as he had a brilliant campaign in the Championship with Burnley last time around

45:48Gregor Robertson: Yeah, it's a surprise one to be brutally honest I mean, he's been someone who's been hugely hyped and tipped since he was 16 he's played right through the England age groups he was a big successor in England in the 21s as you say, he had a low move at Bolton initially, it was brilliant for them, then Burnley in the Premier League and there were a lot of moments where they tried to play it from the back or they were completely committed to playing it from the back and there were a few errors with the ball at his feet there were moments where he looked like he wasn't strong enough for the division he came for crosses and he was bullied and stuff, but he was outstanding last season I know it's the championship shit but Burnley's defence was historically good and he was a big part of that, it wasn't just like he was sitting behind a back four that were outstanding he made some absolutely incredible saves and actually if you look into the data you know Optava kind of goals prevented metric now and it was something like 7 or 8 goals he prevented because of his saves and he has clearly grown in stature and physically in the last couple of years so you know also all these teams all these teams are unlikely to be wrong you know Newcastle aren't the only team that would have taken him and would be interested in signing him and bringing him back to the Premier League I think he's a hugely talented goalkeeper but to return to the club that he spent a long time with I think he's from the North East but then he's been at City since like 2015 so since he's very young he's still only 22 would be pretty remarkable and again there'd be a lot of pressure on him too so yeah very interesting one if that goes through and if he's going to be the person that they put their faith in and say you're our number one Yeah very interesting indeed get the latest on that transfer and all the other transfer gossip and news and confirmed deals from the Times reporters on the Times website now Gregor Robertson we'll leave it there thank you very much for joining me as always Gregor it's less than two weeks to go until the start of the football league season me and you are going to be back so soon with preview shows preview shows for 25 26 league one league two championship I was excited to talk about the euros and transfers I'm really excited to talk about that I can't bloody wait make sure you keep an eye out for that we'll also be back with Kit Shepard and Izzy Christensen later in the week to discuss England's big semi-final with Italy we'll see you then

48:55We'll see you next time. you need for back to school season. Shop Wayfair.com today.

49:27podcasting the best business news ever. Liquid IV makes it easy to stay hydrated wherever life takes you. So shop now at liquidiv.com. Liquid IV hydration that goes wherever life takes you.