June 2026 - Soccer Wiretap

Arsenal reportedly lead the race to sign Anthony Gordon away from Newcastle United this summer ahead of Liverpool and Manchester United. Gordon was close to joining Liverpool two years ago before a deal fell through.

Newcastle will demand upwards of £95 million for Gordon, but is more realistically looking at a transfer fee of between £75 million and £80 million. Arsenal are looking to improve the left wing and that could mean an exit for Gabriel Martinelli. 

Gordon has struggled with his consistency since joining Newcastle from Everton in January 2023 for £40 million.

Gordon currently has a €60 million transfer valuation by Transfermarkt.

Cavan Sullivan scored twice in the Philadelphia Union's 7-0 win over Defense Force to become the youngest American goalscorer in Champions Cup history. Sullivan scored in the 76th minute after collecting the ball on the edge of the box and finding the corner of the goal with his left foot.

The goal was the first senior goal for Sullivan, who is 16 and turns 17 in September. 

Sullivan made 13 appearances last season as the Union finished top of the Eastern Conference.

Sullivan is slated to join Manchester City when he turns 18 in 2027.Q

The Champions League last 16 draw has produced a series of heavyweight matchups for English clubs, headlined by Manchester City's fifth knockout meeting in five years with Real Madrid, Chelsea's rematch with Paris Saint-Germain, and Newcastle's clash with Barcelona.

Chelsea's tie with PSG reprises last summer's Club World Cup final in New Jersey, which Chelsea won 3-0 with two goals from Cole Palmer under then-manager Enzo Maresca. New Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior, who went 1-1-1 against PSG during his time at Strasbourg, welcomed the draw.

"These are the games you live for, games that you come into football for," Rosenior said. "It's going to be a great tie."

Liverpool face a difficult return to Istanbul for a rematch with Galatasaray, having lost 1-0 there in a September league-phase meeting. Arsenal drew Bayer Leverkusen in what is considered a more favorable pairing among the English clubs involved.

"We're really excited," Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. "Let's try to be there until the last stage of every competition."

Tottenham, currently battling Premier League survival concerns, will face Atletico Madrid in a tie that brings a quick reunion for midfielder Conor Gallagher, who joined Spurs from the Spanish club in January.

Newcastle's meeting with Barcelona carries historical weight, evoking memories of Sir Bobby Robson, who managed both clubs, and Faustino Asprilla's famous hat trick in a 3-2 home win over the Catalan side in 1997. Barcelona won the clubs' most recent encounter, a September league-phase match at St. James' Park, 2-1 with two goals from Marcus Rashford.

The draw also set a potential path toward a Liverpool-Chelsea quarterfinal and a north London semifinal between Arsenal and Tottenham should both advance.

Champions League Round of 16 Ties:

• 1. Arsenal vs. 16. Leverkusen
• 2. Bayern vs. 15. Atalanta
• 3. Liverpool vs. 20. Galatasaray
• 4. Tottenham vs. 14. Atletico
• 5. Barcelona vs. 12. Newcastle
• 6. Chelsea vs. 11. PSG
• 7. Sporting CP vs. 23. Bodo/Glimt
• 8. Man City vs. 9. Real Madrid

The round of 16 of the 2025-26 Champions League has been set following the two-leg playoffs this week headlined by current favorites Arsenal. The drawing of the matchups will be held on Friday.

• England (6): Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle United, Tottenham
• Spain (3): Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
• Germany (2): Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich
• Italy (1): Atalanta
• France (1): PSG
• Portugal (1): Sporting CP
• Turkey (1): Galatasaray
• Norway (1): Bodø/Glimt

Major League Soccer will permit teams to sell advertising space on the lower back of their jerseys beginning after the 2026 All-Star Break, adding a fourth sponsorship zone to MLS kits and creating a new revenue stream for clubs.

The available space, positioned below the player's number, measures up to 9" wide and 4" tall — roughly 80% the size of the front-of-jersey patch, the league's most valuable sponsorship real estate. The new placement is considerably larger than existing sleeve patches, which are limited to 2.5" x 2.5".

While financial returns will vary across the league's 30 clubs, the new inventory could generate more than $1 million annually for select teams. MLS club valuations currently range from $767 million on average, with annual revenues spanning $215 million at Inter Miami down to $47 million at CF Montreal and the Colorado Rapids, per Sportico.

"We feel like this is the right moment in time to unlock a new asset for our clubs to capture the attention coming out of the World Cup," MLS chief revenue officer Carter Ladd said.

The move positions MLS ahead of other major North American leagues on jersey monetization. NHL teams sell shoulder and helmet space; NBA and MLB clubs offer only a single jersey patch. The NFL has explored the possibility for years without acting.

MLS has expanded its commercial inventory gradually since debuting with limited uniform ads in 1996. The league opened front-of-jersey space to corporate sponsors in 2007, added a sleeve patch in 2020, and sold a second sleeve patch to media partner Apple for all 30 teams. The new lower-back space will also apply to MLS Next Pro uniforms.

"Demand has increased as our relevance has increased," Ladd said. "We've wanted to be very thoughtful in how we unlock new inventory."

Red Bull CEO of corporate projects and investments Oliver Mintzlaff has firmly rejected reports that Jurgen Klopp's future at the organization is in doubt, calling the claims baseless. An Austrian newspaper report Thursday suggested Klopp's position was no longer secure due to a perceived lack of sporting progress across the Red Bull network.

Klopp has served as Red Bull's global head of soccer since January 2025, operating under a contract through 2029. The Salzburger Nachrichten report claimed Red Bull would not block Klopp from returning to coaching at club or international level.

Mintzlaff rejected those claims directly in a statement to The Athletic.

"That's complete nonsense and totally unfounded," he said. "On the contrary: We are extremely satisfied with Jurgen Klopp's work. He invests a great deal, is in constant communication with our coaches and sporting directors, and is sustainably developing our Red Bull football philosophy."

Klopp has been repeatedly linked with a return to management, most recently connected to Real Madrid following Xabi Alonso's dismissal in January. He has also been regularly mentioned as a candidate for the German national team job, currently held by Julian Nagelsmann.

The former Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund manager addressed speculation following Alonso's sacking in January.

"I'm in a place as a person where I'm completely at peace with where I am," Klopp told The Athletic. "I don't want to be somewhere else."

Klopp's Red Bull responsibilities span five clubs across four continents, including RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg, and New York Red Bulls. His duties include developing and scouting coaches throughout the network.

He joined Red Bull after nearly nine years at Liverpool, where he claimed the 2019 Champions League and the 2019-20 Premier League title.

Toronto FC has reached an agreement to sign U.S. international forward Josh Sargent from Norwich City in a deal worth up to $27 million. The transfer ends a public falling-out between Sargent and the English Championship club.

Toronto is paying an upfront fee of $22 million, with add-ons pushing the total to $27 million. The fee ranks among the largest in MLS history, trailing only Son Heung-min's $26.5 million move to LAFC and Emmanuel Latte Lath's $22 million transfer to Atlanta United.

Norwich had previously rejected Toronto's $18 million offer and maintained Sargent was not for sale as he's under contract until 2028. The situation deteriorated after Sargent asked to be omitted from Norwich's FA Cup squad. He was subsequently moved to train with the club's Under-21 side and did not feature for the first team across their final eight matches.

Sargent, 25, scored 56 goals in 157 appearances across all competitions during his four seasons at Norwich. He earned EFL Championship Team of the Season honors last year with 15 goals and five assists in 32 appearances.

The St. Louis native joins Toronto as the focal point of a rebuilt attacking unit alongside designated player Djordje Mihailovic. Free agent center back Walker Zimmerman and central midfielder Jose Cifuentes provide added depth.

Sargent holds 29 USMNT caps but has not scored internationally since 2019. He faces a challenging path back into Mauricio Pochettino's forward rotation ahead of this summer's World Cup, with Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Haji Wright, and Patrick Agyemang all currently ahead of him in the pecking order.

The move reunites Sargent with North America for the first time since he signed with Werder Bremen at age 18. He and his wife recently welcomed their third child.

Forward Denis Bouanga and LAFC have signed a multiyear designated player contract extension through 2028, with an option covering the 2029-30 MLS season. The club announced the deal Wednesday, ending reported pursuit from Brazilian club Fluminense.

Bouanga, 31, became LAFC's all-time leading scorer last season and has posted 101 goals and 42 assists across 152 appearances since arriving from Ligue 1's St-Etienne in August 2022.

The Gabon international made history last season by becoming the first MLS player to record 20 or more goals in three straight seasons, finishing as runner-up for the Golden Boot with a career-best 24 regular season goals.

"Denis has delivered at an elite level with historic consistency since the day he arrived, and he has helped us win multiple trophies," LAFC general manager John Thorrington said. "This new contract reflects that."

Bouanga has formed a formidable attacking partnership with designated player Son Heung-Min. The duo combined for 25 goals and eight assists during their brief stretch together, including 18 consecutive LAFC goals over nearly two months.

"I'm grateful to LAFC for the trust they've shown in me," Bouanga said. "I believe in what we are building here, and I'm motivated to keep improving, winning more trophies, and helping this club reach even higher."

Bouanga is off to a strong start in 2026, recording a hat trick in CONCACAF Champions Cup play in Honduras before adding a goal and an assist in LAFC's 3-0 season-opening victory over defending MLS Cup champion Inter Miami CF.

Chelsea recorded the largest pre-tax loss in English football history during the 2024-25 season, according to UEFA's annual European Club Finance and Investment Landscape report. The west London club posted a €407 million ($480 million) deficit in their third full season under Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly's ownership.

Only Barcelona's €555 million ($655 million) loss in 2020-21 — a figure shaped by the Covid-19 pandemic and significant one-off accounting costs — has exceeded Chelsea's deficit in European football history.

A source familiar with the club's finances, speaking anonymously to protect relationships, told The Athletic the record loss was driven largely by non-cash accounting entries. Those included player value write-offs and other asset impairments, along with a €31 million ($37 million) UEFA fine issued after Chelsea were found in breach of two financial regulations last year.

The source characterized the 2024-25 figures as a rationalisation of historic issues rather than a reflection of the club's ongoing financial direction.

Chelsea's three-year rolling loss for UEFA purposes reached €622 million ($734 million), far exceeding the governing body's €60 million threshold. However, sources say Chelsea remained within the terms of a settlement agreement reached with UEFA last summer, which permitted losses in line with a pre-agreed business plan.

Sources also confirmed Chelsea did not breach the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules in 2024-25. The club raised roughly £300 million from outgoing transfers last summer and has already earned an estimated £80 million in Champions League prize money this season.

Under the existing UEFA settlement, Chelsea are restricted to a Football Earnings loss of just €5 million ($5.9 million) in 2025-26. Full details of the club's 2024-25 accounts are expected when filings are submitted at the end of next month.

Roger Bennett, co-founder of Men in Blazers, has transformed a weekly podcast into what the company claims is the largest independent football-focused media network in the United States. In the process, Bennett has helped cement the Premier League's hold on American sports culture.

The Liverpool-born Evertonian moved to the United States in 1993 and launched Men in Blazers with Michael Davies after ESPN recruited him to cover the 2010 World Cup. The network now employs 84 staff and produces daily podcasts, YouTube content, a weekly NBC television program, newsletters, and live shows.

“We used to do one podcast but we are now a network,” Bennett said. “Our success is a testament to America falling in love with football. I feel like a surfer surfing a massive wave. We did just start off as a podcast but football is huge now in the United States. It’s a reflection of how much football has grown.”

A Men in Blazers survey estimates 131 million football fans currently live in the U.S. The sport trails American football (170 million), baseball (146 million), and basketball (134 million), but is gaining ground quickly — and draws a younger audience than its rivals.

Bennett sat down with Arsenal midfielder Eberechi Eze at the Fairmont Windsor Park hotel in December for a wide-ranging interview covering Eze's career, faith, and his admiration for Thierry Henry. The conversation forms part of Men in Blazers' ongoing effort to build personal connections between American fans and Premier League players.

Bennett argues London clubs carry particular appeal for U.S. audiences due to travel accessibility. Arsenal, he notes, hold exceptional standing among American supporters.

"They love Arsenal. Arsenal are massive. They are choosing afresh with no geographical constraint," Bennett said.

He believes this summer's U.S.-hosted World Cup will accelerate football's cultural penetration further. "It will finish the job that 1994 started," he said.