Key events

33s ago Thomas Frank 'will not hurry into fresh position'
1h ago Eight Sports Capital state they have purchased Levy shares
2h ago Tottenham sign Andy Robertson
2h ago Al-Mubarak comments on Man City's 134 charges
3h ago Newcastle agree £24.2m deal for goalkeeper Jaouen from Reims
5h ago PFA awards shortlists revealed
6h ago World Cup 2026: guide to all 1,248 players
6h ago Preamble

Thomas Frank 'will not hurry into fresh position'

Thomas Frank, dismissed by Tottenham in February and due to serve as a pundit at the World Cup, has issued a statement via the League Managers’ Association. It rules out speculation linking him with Fulham, Crystal Palace and other openings.

I wished to pause and thank all those who have contacted me over recent months. Your backing and motivation have meant a great deal.
Departing Tottenham has allowed me to pause and review my path to date. Football management requires full dedication each day, and intervals such as this offer a valuable chance to evaluate, develop and obtain new insight. Externally it may have appeared a period of difficulties at Tottenham when outcomes fell short. Internally, though, the reasons the club stands out become evident - packed with skilled staff who labour hard daily. I remain certain Tottenham holds a promising outlook.
Football stays central to my identity, and I have opted to apply this interval usefully. In the months ahead, alongside time with family and friends, I will keep studying, watching and learning from other figures in sport and elsewhere.
I also anticipate covering the World Cup for Danish television and the BBC, plus attending the Tour de France. Time off the sideline lets me widen my view and collect ideas I hope to apply in my coming role.
Discussions and prospects have arisen since leaving Spurs, yet I have chosen not to move quickly into the next post. For me, this summer is not the moment to resume management.
When the moment arrives, I will welcome my return as a manager, prepared to tackle the role with full vigour and focus.

Transfer news: Inter have confirmed activating a buyback option to bring back Aleksandar Stankovic from Club Brugge, with the Serbia midfielder signing a five-year deal.

The 20-year-old is the son of former midfielder Dejan Stanković, who played nearly ten years in Milan.

Further information on Brooklyn Earick, whose Eight Sports firm claims to have secured a 24.99 per cent holding in Tottenham’s parent company, via PA Media.

“Earick is described as a lifelong Tottenham supporter, according to sources near the agreement, who has secured more than $25 billion from family offices, sovereign wealth funds, and major institutions globally.

“Before turning to business, he served as an engineer at Nasa Ames Research Center, aiding small spacecraft and satellite projects.”

Seeking a World Cup walk? A scenic route to the MetLife here.

The World Cup style showcase has started.

Style highlights span the outfits players don for training, the suits on flights and their practice kits. The French squad’s camp in Clairefontaine turned into a showcase this week thanks to the looks of players such as Jules Koundé and Kylian Mbappé. Meanwhile, labels including Loewe, Gabriela Hearst, Patta and the rapper Drake’s Nocta have partnered with sides on formal wear and training apparel.
Since the prior tournament in 2022, fashion’s role in football has surged, with brands linking with players and clubs, and the individual tastes of players shaping what young men choose, often via image carousels on Instagram and shots taken on arrival at training. This trend looks set to grow at the World Cup, with players such as the Spanish star Lamine Yamal, the Netherlands’ Virgil van Dijk and Koundé already sharing looks on their Instagram feeds.

Lawrence Shankland, the Scotland forward, has discussed his transfer from Hearts to Rangers.

“Clearly I ended the season on a high note, so belief was already strong.

“To join my boyhood side, a place I have long dreamed of playing for, and to receive that chance, particularly later in your career, I am simply pleased and eager to seize it. It can provide that extra lift and hopefully it does ahead of these matches.”

“Clearly, I was set to link up with Scotland on the Tuesday yet I had to postpone until the Wednesday for medical checks and similar,” he noted. “I sensed it was quite key for me to complete it before arriving here. I think when you reach a World Cup, you wish to savour the occasion. I did not want anything pending from my club duties so I was eager to finalise matters.

“Clearly, it was a major choice for me, departing Hearts. It is a fine club. I hold many fine moments and memories there. Yet the prospect to join Rangers is one I could not pass up.”

Scotland face Bolivia in New Jersey on Saturday.

Eight Sports Capital state they have purchased Levy shares

Good afternoon, let us open with further Tottenham developments.

A press statement arrives: “Eight Sports Capital Limited today confirms the signing of a sale and purchase agreement to obtain a 24.99% stake in ENIC Sports and Developments Holdings Limited, the parent company of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, from the trustee of Daniel Levy’s family trust.

A spokesperson for Eight Sports Capital Limited noted: “We are pleased to have signed this agreement to secure a major holding in ENIC. We look forward to collaborating with the Club’s shareholders, management, staff, players and fans to aid Tottenham Hotspur’s ongoing progress and achievement.

“The parties have agreed that no further public remarks will be issued regarding the commercial details of the deal.”

Eight Sports Capital is a company owned by Triller which is owned by Wing-Fai Ng and Richard Tsai. Eight Sports Capital CEO is Brooklyn Earick, noted as a Tottenham supporter and behind earlier interest in buying the club.

The family of Joe Lewis, the prior owner, remain the main owners of Spurs, holding an 86.58 per cent share in Tottenham. Last week, the family declared they are “all in”.

Right, time to review Curaçao’s probable starting XI. John Brewin now takes the chair. Applaud him warmly.

Real Madrid will table a £130m offer for Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise if Florentino Pérez secures re-election as the club’s president this weekend. Rival candidate Enrique Riquelme had earlier pledged to sign Erling Haaland from Manchester City if successful. You lot.

Here is a positive sign for England. The ELO rankings offer a stronger indicator of standing in football’s hierarchy. The FIFA rankings only date to 1993 and have been adjusted multiple times. The ELO system was originally drawn from chess yet they remain the rankings favoured by football enthusiasts.

Reviewing past World Cup winners, eight of the last 10 champions sat in the top four of the ELO rankings before the tournament. The present list places England in a top-four position:

1/ Spain
2/ Argentina
3/ France
4/ England
5/ Brazil
6/ Portugal
7/ Colombia
8/ Netherlands
9/ Ecuador
10/ Germany

Views on Andy Robertson joining Tottenham on a free from Liverpool? Somewhat unusual? More chance of regular starts? An opportunity to sample the big city? Extra time to socialise with Michael Dawson?

Tottenham sign Andy Robertson

Tottenham have released a truly uplifting video greeting Andy Robertson to the club ahead of his switch from Liverpool.

Featuring ex-Tottenham defender Michael Dawson, a former teammate of Robertson’s at Hull, he delivers this warm message:

“This shirt, the cockerel, that is us since 1882. Worn by those who came before you, and everyone cheering from the stands.

“This club has been family to me, and we always have space for someone new.

“On the back, where your name sits, that is your chance to contribute something of your own to our tale. As your old teammate and captain, I am proud that I can welcome you to Spurs. Robbo, this is yours now too.”

The Scotland captain will formally arrive on 1 July when his Liverpool contract ends.

Sporting Director, Johan Lange, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Andy to the club.

“Above all, he is an exceptional left-back - one of the finest in Premier League history, and someone who will strengthen our squad.

“Moreover, his ability, character and leadership have shone throughout a career in which he has often competed for - and secured - major honours.

“Andy’s professionalism and drive will also prove vital to the growth of our squad, and he shares our goal and resolve to restore success to the Club.

“We are excited for Andy’s new chapter with us and look forward to having him here after the World Cup.”

Head Coach, Roberto De Zerbi, said: “Andy is someone I have respected for several years and he will bring outstanding technical skills, experience, leadership and mindset to our side.

“He is a proven winner at the top level over an extended period and is someone who can be a key figure for us, both on and off the pitch.

“I cannot wait to begin working with him and seeing the positive effect he will have on everyone around him.”

Al-Mubarak on Man City's 134 charges

Jamie Jackson

Khaldoon al-Mubarak has pledged to clarify matters once the verdict arrives on Manchester City’s estimated 134 Premier League charges concerning alleged financial misconduct.

The chair was questioned on any update, more than three years after the charges - which City reject - were issued. It stays unclear when an announcement will follow.

“Until we receive a ruling, I cannot add much,” Al-Mubarak said. “Once we have a ruling, believe me, we will hold a full discussion together and I will express everything I have wished to say for the last three years.”

City serve as the flagship club of City Football Group, the body that runs 12 teams worldwide. A Sheikh Mansour company owns most of CFG, with almost 17% held by the American firm Silver Lake and a minor stake owned by China Media Capital and CITIC Capital.

Mubarak stated the group holds a value of at least $10bn (£7.4bn). “Over the years we have reached several milestones where the value rose from $120m to $1bn, then $2bn, $3bn, then investors arrived and put money into the club at $3bn,” he said. “We advanced to $5bn and further funds arrived, investors backing this approach. And Sheikh Mansour made a key decision, which was that the money remains invested because we will continue developing. If you were to sell everything today on the market, you would not receive less than $10bn minimum. That is value creation.

“There is no plan to sell. There is only a plan to keep expanding this because the outlook here is that it will only increase and this is a fine business to hold.”

If you were reading earlier about England’s 6-1 win over Panama in the 2022 World Cup, there was a quiz query. Harry Kane claimed a hat-trick yet I also asked which player scored an unexpected brace?

The answer: John Stones. Yes, indeed.

Thanks Luke. Player-guide session slightly disrupted by a parcel sent to the wrong address, a phone call about US Open golf duties and a ham omelette that refused to cook itself.

That concludes my stint: David will return from his extended player-guide reading session shortly.

Craig McLeish has secured the St Mirren role on a permanent basis after he preserved their Scottish Premiership status.

“I wish to thank Keith [Lasley, chief executive] and the board for offering me this chance and I am prepared to seize it. I am delighted that my vision matched the club’s and they view me as the right person to lead us ahead,” McLeish said.

“It feels as though perhaps the close of a cycle with where we stood. We have accomplished much over this recent stretch, and we must now consider what we do and how we function as a club.”