Premier League 2025/26 Thread

[RowlattsFox]

Europa League already looking a bit stronger next year with some of the names in it. 

[grobyfox1990]

2 hours ago, CL Fox said:

Just because it makes loads of money doesn't make it good - im not sure how in any way thats an effective counter argument 

Yeh true, it's one metric of 'good' - actually probably the main metric of good if you live in the first/western world and you've signed up to a society where money is the most important thing in the world ever.

[Fox92]

20 hours ago, Warks_Mackem said:

Still hasn’t sunk in yet to be honest. I’ve had 30 years of “have you ever seen a Mackem in Milan?” from those morons up the road. Well next season there’s a good chance you actually will see a Mackem in Milan. 

 

I’d have snapped your hands off for Conference League yesterday morning so to get Europa League was just something else. I was slightly emotional at full time.

 

I have faith that the ownership and recruitment team will be ambitious again this summer. I feel it’s a bit of a myth that playing in Europe = season of struggle tbh. Only one team in the last 26 years has been relegated the season after qualifying for Europe: Ipswich in 2002. It’s going to be tough but it’ll be one hell of a ride.

You seem to have good recruitment in place so no doubt you will add to the squad to make it a bit bigger for the extra European games. Your manager has proven to be good enough. You'll be fine. The lower end of the PL is going to see the likes of Coventry/Hull/Ipswich/Leeds/Forest/Palace. There's plenty of teams that can play in Europe, go deep into Europe, and still have a good domestic campaign (look at Villa, winner of the Europa League plus a top 4 finish).

 

Pleased to see you in Europe as I've never minded you lot. Been through it all too in the last decade but still continue to be one of the best fanbases in the Country. Be interesting to see how you get on.

[DJW1]

Is there a law which states that any published photograph of a West Ham player or manager must include bubbles floating in the air?

[Nalis]

£70m for Gordon is madness. Take the money and run

[Super_horns]

1 minute ago, Nalis said:

£70m for Gordon is madness. Take the money and run

Exciting move for Gordon and Newcastle make a profit on him .

[st albans fox]

On 26/05/2026 at 13:51, RowlattsFox said:

Europa League already looking a bit stronger next year with some of the names in it. 

Bournemouth and Sunderland?

[whoareyaaa]

The Spanish league is giving the EPL a run for its money most top players would rather play in Spain if the money was similar 

[The Bear]

49 minutes ago, Nalis said:

£70m for Gordon is madness. Take the money and run

Where does that leave Rashford, as that's his position. Rashford was only quoted at £30m to buy him too I think. 

[BKLFox]

1 hour ago, Nalis said:

£70m for Gordon is madness. Take the money and run

What’s madness is that it’s Barcelona offering it

[Nalis]

35 minutes ago, The Bear said:

Where does that leave Rashford, as that's his position. Rashford was only quoted at £30m to buy him too I think. 

Wages are the stumbling block with Rashfors

[JimJams]

Didn't they ask for a 2nd year loan on Rasher McDougal?

[LCFCJohn]

10 hours ago, st albans fox said:

Bournemouth and Sunderland?

Juventus, Milan, Marseille and Bayer Leverkusen to be fair. And next rung down, Rennes, Celta Vigo, Real Sociedad.

 

It makes for a strong knock out round even though the group phase will still be made up of smaller sides from more provincial European leagues. If the quarter finals were the first 4 listed and another 4 from the 3 listed after and the PL 3, I don’t think people would be saying it’s an easier competition etc.

[st albans fox]

1 hour ago, LCFCJohn said:

Juventus, Milan, Marseille and Bayer Leverkusen to be fair. And next rung down, Rennes, Celta Vigo, Real Sociedad.

 

It makes for a strong knock out round even though the group phase will still be made up of smaller sides from more provincial European leagues. If the quarter finals were the first 4 listed and another 4 from the 3 listed after and the PL 3, I don’t think people would be saying it’s an easier competition etc.

I was being facetious 

im good at that 😄

hopefully we don’t get an english winner next season. 

[Finnegan]

Gordon isn't going to get a kick there. How the **** did both Bayern and Barca want him? Am I really out of touch and he's some absolute statistical beast or has he got the world's best agent? 

 

He's the most over rated English player for generations. 

 

[RowlattsFox]

Will Gordon get the McTominay glow from playing in Europe? Doesn't seem the skin type to enjoy the climate 

 

I'm with everyone else, can't see what Barcelona see in him. A lot of money for probably back up, big initial outlay but wages cheaper than Rashford. 

[LCFCJohn]

1 hour ago, st albans fox said:

I was being facetious 

im good at that 😄

hopefully we don’t get an english winner next season. 

Oh I think you’re right about the English sides.

 

You’ve got a newly promoted Sunderland, Palace who are likely to fall away when Glasner leaves and Bournemouth who play their homes games on the beach! Joking about Bournemouth of course who have done very well but also losing Iraola and likely some key players again.

 

You can’t see them being a threat like an Emery led Villa were this season or even Spurs last season who for their issues, are still a side who have been in the CL a lot in recent history.

 

But yeah, the entrants to the Europa League from the other major European leagues, particularly Italy, look quite trough actually!

[BKLFox]

Whilst Rodgers continues to live rent free in a lot of people’s heads due to his wage, Fulham are about to offer Silva a bumper contract that would make him the 3rd best paid (or 2nd if papers still including Pep) & after what, just keeping them in the league 🤷‍♂️ 

Also giving him greater control over footballing matters and transfers

 

 

Edited 28 May by BKLFox

[Finnegan]

13 hours ago, The Bear said:

Where does that leave Rashford, as that's his position. Rashford was only quoted at £30m to buy him too I think. 

 

13 hours ago, BKLFox said:

What’s madness is that it’s Barcelona offering it

 

Yeah literally none of it makes sense unless it's some swindle and the Saudis are going to lump up some extreme back hander to Barcelona in the form of sponsorship or something. 

 

Barca don't have crazy money, they've been walking a tight rope for a couple of years and could do with calming down their spend. 

 

Rashford is there, has done OK, is a better player than Gordon, wants to stay and is more than half the price? 

 

Gordon struggles to match Barnes' output and is somehow treated by the English press like a star of the game. I don't get it. I always thought Grealish was over rated but Gordon? He's in the Barnes & KDH bracket of English talent, nothing more. 

 

[AKCJ]

Anthony Gordon is a winger that plays exactly as Hansi Flick likes them to play. Extremely direct and fast with an end product.

 

If he can handle the pressure of playing for a club that has to win trophies then he'll be brilliant for them, I'm sure of it.

[AKCJ]

16 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

Barca don't have crazy money, they've been walking a tight rope for a couple of years and could do with calming down their spend. 

They've been through all of this process but is £60m crazy money these days? 

 

Plus they're losing about 800k a week off their wage bill with Lewandowski, Rashford, Cancelo and Christiansen leaving.

 

Their academy has pulled through at the perfect time for them with the likes of Pedri, Yamal, Gavi, Bernal, Lopez, Balde, Cubarsi and Casado coming through in a 4/5 year window. That's probably around a billion quids worth of talent that they've got for free.

[BKLFox]

3 hours ago, AKCJ said:

They've been through all of this process but is £60m crazy money these days? 

 

Plus they're losing about 800k a week off their wage bill with Lewandowski, Rashford, Cancelo and Christiansen leaving.

 

Their academy has pulled through at the perfect time for them with the likes of Pedri, Yamal, Gavi, Bernal, Lopez, Balde, Cubarsi and Casado coming through in a 4/5 year window. That's probably around a billion quids worth of talent that they've got for free.

but Gordon 

If they were paying these sums because they have the money then you would expect a Kvaratskhelia or Diomande (who i thought they would especially go for) both would probably cost another 20m but both would complement with Yamal on the right better & offer more in switching positions during game time.
Yamel & Diomande i could see there for years to come being 18 & 19, even if Diomande was 90m, he will be to expense for them in 2yrs time after who ever gets him in the summer, where as Gordon i could see being moved on again in that time for less than they are willing to pay now.

[Muzzy_no7]

Iraola to Palace would be a bit weird after leaving Bournemouth however somehow The Cherries are upgrading to Rose.

 

 

[goose2010]

57 minutes ago, Muzzy_no7 said:

Iraola to Palace would be a bit weird after leaving Bournemouth however somehow The Cherries are upgrading to Rose.

 

 

he is going to Leverkusen apparently. 

 

It seems an odd move. 

[Danizen]

11 hours ago, RowlattsFox said:

Will Gordon get the McTominay glow from playing in Europe? Doesn't seem the skin type to enjoy the climate 

 

I'm with everyone else, can't see what Barcelona see in him. A lot of money for probably back up, big initial outlay but wages cheaper than Rashford. 

It's Coutinho all over again except Coutinho was smashing it in the PL.

Edited 28 May by Danizen