Newcastle have been strongly linked to the Frenchman ever since they were bought by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in October 2021.

After three days of fitness tests at the Ruhr University in Bochum, coach Jan Zimmermann will lead his players onto the pitches of the training ground in Dortmund-Brackel for the first time on 29 June. On 2 July, the new squad will face the Westfalenliga outfit Lüner SV at the Schwansbell stadium. Six days later, it’s off to the Waldstadion in Dortmund-Aplerbeck for the annual clash with Oberliga side ASC 09.

The news has made waves in the Die Mannschaft camp, where Bayern’s Germany contingent is currently preparing for a pair of upcoming friendlies against Peru and then Belgium. In a press conference, current national team captain Joshua Kimmich expressed support for his now-former club manager.

“We in the team thought about how we could give something back to the people here at the club who work hard every day to allow us to play Bundesliga football here in Hoffenheim,” recalls Benjamin Hübner, the former captain responsible for this remarkable gesture – and who is back at the club as a management trainee and U19 assistant coach following the conclusion of his playing career. The idea came about after the team reached the last 16 of the DFB-Pokal in the 2022/23 season. The players decide to use the bonus they received to fund the new facility. “We have a lot of players and staff who enjoy playing padel. It’s a brilliant thing and really shows the character of the team.”

“With the re-signing of Michael Gspurning, we can continue our focus on continuity at the club for the coming seasons. The good performances of our goalkeepers are a testament to his work, so we are very happy that we can continue to count on Michael’s services,” said Oliver Ruhnert, director of professional football in the course of signing the contract.

Gabriel Martinelli missed the Gunners’ crucial spot-kick as the Portuguese side won 5-3 on penalties and progressed to the last 16 of the Europa League.

The transfer fee consists of a high fixed sum and performance-related variables spread over a period of six years.

SV Werder Bremen have begun their Bundesliga delegation trip to Vietnam in Hanoi. The week-long visit began in the capital on Monday. The Green-Whites were accompanied and supported by the Economic Development Agency for Bremen, with the help of Bremeninvest’s office in Vietnam and Werder’s official partner, Lecka Nutrition.

It appears as if De Ligt — and four of his Dutch teammates — have been taken down by a viral infection:

Lucas Höler is aware of how the table looks ahead of Thursday’s fixture: “Obviously, there’s a bit more pressure on Olympiacos, but that doesn’t affect our game whatsoever. We go into every game with the aim of winning, especially when we’re playing in front of a home crowd.” 34,000 fans are expected to be in the Europa-Park Stadion on Thursday evening.