08/08/2026

SPORTS SATURDAY | AUG 8, 2026

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West Ham, Wolves and Burnley headline Championship promotion race

THE 2026/27 Championship season kicksoff on Aug 14 with a number of ambitious clubs target ing promotion to the Premier League, while newly promoted sides prepare for a difficult bat tle to remain in England’s second tier. Among the early favourites for success are the three clubs relegated from the Premier League last season – West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley – who will be hoping to secure an immediate return to the top flight. West Ham enter the campaign as one of the strongest squads in the division and are expected to mount a serious promotion chal lenge under head coach Nuno Espirito Santo. The Hammers’ squad contains several players with significant Premier League experience, including Jarrod Bowen, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, El Hadji Malick Diouf and Taty Castellanos, giving them a major advantage over many Championship rivals. Their ability to retain Espirito Santo has also provided stability, with the Portuguese coach bringing valuable top-flight experience after managing at the highest level. West Ham are also expected to strengthen further before the transfer window closes, with several attacking reinforcements reportedly being considered as the club looks to build a B ARCELONA have moved into pole position in the race for Manchester City midfielder Rodri after the Spain international gave the Catalan giants permission to begin talks over a potential transfer. A source from reigning La Liga champions Barcelona confirmed yesterday that the club had secured Rodri’s approval to negotiate with Manchester City, although the player’s decision does not guarantee a move will be completed. “Today Barcelona is closer to being able to consider this transfer than yesterday. We have now secured the player’s agreement to open negotiations with Manchester City,” the source said. The development could disrupt Real Madrid’s plans, with Los Blancos also reported to be interested in signing the 30-year-old as they look to strengthen their midfield under new manager Jose Mourinho. Rodri’s future has become one of the biggest transfer stories of the summer after he entered the final year of his Manchester City contract. The Premier League club are believed to be open to considering offers in the region of €60 million (RM282m), although they would prefer to retain one of the most influential players of their recent era. Barcelona’s interest has intensified after a reported conversation between Rodri and manager Hansi Flick, who has identified the need for an experienced defensive mid fielder following injury problems affecting the squad. The Catalan club are particularly con cerned by the long-term absence of Frenkie de Jong, whose knee injury has

moted teams face a difficult introduction to the Championship. Lincoln City, Bolton Wanderers and Cardiff City earned promotion from League One last season, but history suggests the step up can be demanding, particularly against clubs with greater resources and deeper squads. Bolton appear particularly vulnerable after finishing well behind Lincoln during the League One campaign before securing promotion through the play-offs. Manager Steven Schumacher will hope to prove his ability at Championship level after pre vious struggles in the division, but questions remain over whether the squad has enough quality and depth to compete. Bolton have added several players, mainly on free transfers, but their limited spending com pared with established Championship clubs could leave them facing a difficult season. The new campaign promises another unpre dictable Championship race, with former Premier League clubs aiming for an immediate return while newly promoted sides fight to avoid being dragged straight back down. La Roja to their second World Cup triumph and was awarded the Golden Ball as the tourna ment’s best player. At Manchester City, Rodri became a central figure in the club’s most successful period, win ning four Premier League titles, the 2023 Champions League and numerous domestic trophies. He scored the winning goal in the Champions League final against Inter Milan in 2023 and played a key role in City’s dominance under former manager Pep Guardiola. However, City are now entering a new era under Enzo Maresca, who replaced Guardiola after the Spaniard’s decade-long spell in charge. Keeping Rodri is expected to be one of Maresca’s biggest challenges as he attempts to maintain City’s status among Europe’s elite. The midfielder’s recent injury history could also influence negotiations. Rodri has suf fered several knee problems in recent sea sons and underwent minor back surgery in late July, raising concerns over his readi ness for the start of the campaign. For Barcelona, signing Rodri would represent a major statement of intent and strengthen a midfield that already contains several members of Spain’s World Cup-winning squad.

ing Gil Vicente to an impressive sixth-place finish in Portugal’s top division. The club have also added experienced play ers, including Raul Jimenez and Kieran Trippier, while Rafiki Said and Ladislav Krejci provide fur ther quality options.

squad capable of challenging immediately. With their combination of quality, experience and financial strength, West Ham are expected to be among the leading contenders for promo tion and a return to the Premier League in the 2027/28 season.

Burnley

Wolves

West Ham

Although Wolves struggled badly in the Premier League last season, their squad still con tains considerable talent, and Peixoto’s chal lenge will be to turn that potential into consis tent performances. If they adapt quickly to Championship foot ball, Wolves could challenge for automatic pro motion and possibly even the title. At the opposite end of the table, newly pro

However, the Championship’s competitive nature means they will face strong challenges from several ambitious clubs. Wolverhampton Wanderers are another side expected to be involved in the promotion race after a disappointing Premier League campaign last season ended in relegation. Wolves have looked to rebuild under new manager Cesar Peixoto, who arrives after guid

West Ham, Wolves and Burnley may start with the strongest squads, but as always in the Championship, consistency and resilience over 46 matches will determine who earns a place back among England’s elite. – The Independent Barcelona win race for Rodri as midfielder gives green light for transfer talks

Trouble in the City

created a major gap in the centre of mid field. Flick is believed to have asked the club hierarchy to prioritise either an experienced defender or midfielder before the new season begins. Rodri would provide exactly the qualities Barcelona are seeking. The mid fielder is regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in world football, combining tactical intelligence, pass ing ability and physical presence. His reputation has grown further after a remark able interna tional cam

Rodri is reportedly at

the centre of a transfer battle between Barcelona and Real Madrid. – REUTERSPIC

paign with S p a i n . R o d r i c a p - tained

For City, losing their midfield anchor would be a significant blow as Maresca begins rebuilding the team after Guardiola’s departure. With Barcelona now entering the race alongside Real Madrid, Rodri’s decision could become one of the defining transfer sagas of the sum mer. – AFP/Agencies

Saints prepared for Eckert FA ban over ‘spygate’

Ű BY SIMON PEACH

about different scenarios to be prepared, and I still hope for a positive outcome.” Saints chief executive Phil Parsons says the timeline for the FA hearing is unclear ahead of today’s Carabao Cup tie at Colchester and next weekend’s Championship opener away to Watford. “We don’t know – it might be a September hearing,” he said. “The FA have listened to Tonda well, they’ve listened to everybody involved. “I think it’s been OK process so far, but I’ve thought that before as well and things change.” – The Independent

could look like. At the moment I’m honestly very positive, looking into the next weeks,” Spors said. “There was a little bit of discussion as Tonda watched the game from above (in the stands for Saturday’s friendly against Preussen-Munster). That was a bit of a training. “We think into different scenarios but noth ing too concrete at the moment. We really focus on the here and now, and if there is something we have to deal with then we will deal with it. “It’s not that I don’t want to be concrete on answering it, it’s just that we can’t really. In my office with the people around me, we do speak

monitoring semifinal opponents Middlesbrough and two other teams. Eckert accepted full responsibility for the affair, a position publicly backed by Southampton owner Dragan Solak. The German manager now faces three FA charges under Rule E3.1 for “misconduct”. As the new season approaches, the outcome remains unknown, with a ban a distinct possibil ity, though Saints’ group technical director Johannes Spors expressed the club’s readiness to handle any disciplinary action. “There are so many uncertainties of how this

SOUTHAMPTON’S sporting director has indi cated the club is prepared for a potential Football Association ban for manager Tonda Eckert after the“Spygate”scandal, while still hop ing for a positive resolution. The Saints have already faced severe penal ties, including expulsion from the Championship playoff final and a four-point deduction for the upcoming season. These sanctions followed the club’s admis sion of three EFL regulation breaches for illicitly