Ian Parker

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick says the club still need more signings to build squad depth ahead of their return to the Champions League, although they will not match the spending levels of Premier League rivals. United have spent about £85 million on Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Karl Darlow, while Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham have each made deals worth more than £100 million. Carrick also backed Marcus Rashford’s return after his loan at Barcelona, saying the forward remains a United player with much to offer. He believes United have the potential to challenge for a first league title since 2013 but stopped short of making a firm prediction. Carrick signed a two-year contract in May after initially taking charge on an interim basis.

Wrexham defeated a largely youth-filled Manchester United side 1–0 in a Helsinki pre-season friendly, with Sam Smith scoring shortly before half-time. New United signing Andrey Santos made a promising debut in midfield, while most senior players were absent following World Cup duty. After mass half-time substitutions, United dominated possession but created few clear chances, with Wrexham threatening on the counter and holding their lead through to full time.

India took firm control of the first women’s Test at Lord’s by bowling England out for 170 and reaching 154 for one in their second innings, leaving the hosts facing a record fourth-innings chase. Kranti Gaud led India’s attack with five wickets, while Smriti Mandhana anchored the reply with an unbeaten 69. England briefly stabilised through Nat Sciver‑Brunt and Amy Jones, but a late collapse deepened their deficit as India’s batters extended the lead and maintained dominance heading into day three.

Jurgen Klopp has reached agreement on key terms to become Germany’s next head coach following talks in New York with German Football Federation leaders. Further negotiations will continue, pending approval from his current employer Red Bull. Klopp, currently Red Bull’s head of global soccer and a World Cup pundit, would replace Julian Nagelsmann, who departed after Germany’s last‑32 World Cup exit.

Real Madrid publicly denied any interest in signing Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, issuing a statement rejecting recent reports and reaffirming respect for both the player and Chelsea. Fernandez, who joined Chelsea from Benfica in 2023 after winning the World Cup with Argentina, scored 10 Premier League goals last season but the club failed to qualify for European competition. Xabi Alonso was appointed as Chelsea’s new manager in May.