Brentford finished their pre-season smashing seven past Eintracht Frankfurt at the Indeed Invitational at the Gtech Community Stadium winning 7-0.
They go into their opening Premier League fixture at home to Spurs following a glut of goals.
The Bundesliga side, who had won all five of their previous pre-season games and finished eighth in the Bundesliga last season, were put to the sword in West London in front of more than 13,000 fans.
Braces from Kevin Schade and Igor Thiago, a home debut goal for Mamadou Sangaré and strikes from Keane Lewis-Potter and Dango Ouattara will have made some head turns even during pre-season.
Shade scored the opener after just two minutes, Sangaré volleyed from just outside the box after 12 minutes and Igor Thiago tapped the ball into an open goal to make it 3-0 at the half.

#igor #sangar #home #minutes

Club Friendlies
Brentford 7 - 0 Eintracht Frankfurt FT
Thiago has scored in both of Brentford's pre-season friendlies [Getty Images]
Igor Thiago scored twice and set up another as Brentford thrashed Eintracht Frankfurt at the Gtech Community Stadium in their final pre-season friendly.
The Brazil forward tapped home from Kevin Schade's square ball just before the break then scored the Bees' sixth, finishing coolly from a tight angle after a charging run.

#thiago #club

Eintracht Frankfurt and SV Elversberg have agreed to a loan deal for Noel Futkeu ahead of the upcoming 2026-27 season.
The striker will move to the Saarland club on a until June 2027, while the newly promoted Bundesliga club also has an option to buy.
Futkeu joined Eintracht Frankfurt from Schwarz-Weiß Essen in 2023 and scored 16 goals in 27 Regionalliga (fourth division) appearances.
In 2024, Futkeu moved to SpVgg Greuther Fürth and was the top scorer in the 2. Bundesliga last season with 19 goals in 36 games.
"Noel Futkeu is a good example of how young players at Eintracht Frankfurt can develop into professionals via various paths.

#goals

Cologne and Eintracht Frankfurt have reportedly reached an agreement over the transfer of Ellyes Skhiri back to his old Bundesliga club, dramatically reviving a return that appeared to have been abandoned only weeks ago. Sport Bild reports the two Bundesliga clubs have settled the terms of a deal for the 31-year-old midfielder. The remaining obstacle is Skhiri's salary demand. Cologne are reportedly prepared to offer the Tunisia international approximately €1.5m per year. Skhiri currently ranks among Frankfurt's higher earners and has yet to accept the proposed terms.
Get German Football News reported in late July that Skhiri had been granted permission to negotiate a departure from Eintracht Frankfurt. The midfielder was omitted from Adi Hütter's training-camp squad after being informed that he no longer featured prominently in the club's plans. A return to Köln initially appeared one of the most logical solutions. That option subsequently seemed dead, however.
GGFN reported during Köln's pursuit of Wolfsburg midfielder Vinicius Souza that Skhiri was no longer considered an option at the RheinEnergieStadion. Köln had elected to explore alternative solutions for René Wagner's midfield instead. That position was reinforced again only recently when GGFN covered Sevilla's emerging interest in Skhiri. At that stage, Köln were understood to have dropped their pursuit entirely.
Skhiri's return would address an obvious need in Köln's midfield, where Tom Krauß, Ísak Jóhannesson and summer signing Paul Okon-Engstler currently represent Wagner's main central options. The veteran already knows the club exceptionally well. Skhiri joined Köln from Montpellier for approximately €6m in 2019 and developed into one of their most important players. He made 133 competitive appearances for the club and contributed to 28 goals before departing for Frankfurt on a free transfer in 2023.
Skhiri has since made 117 appearances for Eintracht, although his role declined last season. The additions of Raphael Onyedika and Noël Aséko have further reduced his prospects under Hütter. Skhiri also enters the final year of his SGE contract. The RheinMainAdler remain eager to cash in on the 86-times-capped international, who still maintains a €5m estimated market value. The two clubs have ironed out the terms of the transfer. Skhiri will still have to lower his salary expectations in order to facilitate the move.

#eintracht #club #return

Two Bundesliga midfielders could be headed for the Premier League before the transfer window closes, with Crystal Palace showing concrete interest in Eintracht Frankfurt's Farès Chaïbi and Ipswich Town continuing their pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen's Exequiel Palacios. According to Sport Bild, Crystal Palace are considering a move for Chaïbi. No formal offer has yet arrived in Frankfurt, though one could reportedly follow soon.
A potential departure would pose no significant problems for Eintracht. The RheinMainAdler have built their preferred midfield partnership for the coming season around new additions Noël Aséko and Raphael Onyedika.
Chaïbi's versatility remains one of his major selling points. The Algeria international can work centrally or further forward and has established himself as a regular for his national team since arriving in Frankfurt in 2023.
Interest from England is also nothing new. Aston Villa and Brentford have previously been linked with Chaïbi, while his recent World Cup performances for Algeria further raised his profile.
There has meanwhile been a significant development in Exequiel Palacios's situation at Bayer Leverkusen. According to the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, the 27-year-old has now explicitly informed Leverkusen of his desire to leave. Previous reports had suggested that Palacios was considering a transfer without having formally requested one.

#crystal #eintracht #palacios #according

Bayern Munich sporting director Max Eberl is close to extending his contract at the club, according to Sport Bild. The 52-year-old was informed of the news during the club's Asia tour. However, the supervisory board is yet to reach a final decision on the matter. The next meeting of the board is scheduled for 25 August. Honorary president and supervisory board member Uli Hoeneß recently put the likelihood of Eberl's contract extension at "100 percent."Hoeneß also praised Eberl for "a perfect transfer period." This summer, Bayern have signed German full-back Nathaniel Brown from Eintracht Frankfurt and Moroccan attacker Ismael Saibari from PSV Eindhoven. Eberl's contract expires in the summer of 2027, the same as that of CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen, who is also expected to stay with the record German Champions. GGFN | Brook Genene

#contract #hoene #german

Newcastle United has generated significant transfer income this summer, but Matthias Jaissle's rebuild remains incomplete, to say the least.
The Magpies have already brought five players in, but they continue to ****** s options across the field, including attacking options after Anthony Gordon's departure and the struggles of last summer's forward additions.
Regarding one of Newcastle's floated targets, Manchester City head coach Enzo Maresca opened the door last weekend for Omar Marmoush to decide his own future, acknowledging that the Egyptian wants more playing time after struggling for regular minutes last season.
"Players work every day, they want to play so when they don't play they are not happy. Omar did not play a lot last year so his desire is probably to play more minutes," Maresca said following City's 3-1 preseason victory over Atletico Madrid. "It doesn't mean that he isn't going to play more minutes here but it's also his decision, and he needs to decide."
Those comments arrived just days after CaughtOffside's Mark Brus reported Newcastle had rekindled its interest in the 27-year-old, who joined City from Eintracht Frankfurt for around £59 million (€67.7 million) in January 2025.

#decide

Eintracht Frankfurt finished eighth in the Bundesliga last season, their lowest finish since 2021/22. How would you summarise how their season panned out?
Qualifying for Europe is the minimum expectation for Eintracht Frankfurt every year. This allows them to attract better signings with the promise of continental football.
When they changed head coach in early 2026, there was still optimism that they would reach Europe, and they turned to former Spain international Albert Riera in an attempt to shake things up.
Unfortunately, the biggest shake-up was in the dressing room, where Riera's personality clashed with the squad, and everyone involved decided it was best to change managers again at the end of the season.
After his exit, the former Liverpool midfielder gave an interview in which he compared his relationship with Eintracht to that of "the gorgeous Angelina Jolie and the charming Brad Pitt. Both are wonderful, but they just don't fit together."

#season #former #spain

RB Leipzig fought off competition to sign Burnley's Maxime Estéve for €25m in July, and now the French defender is already impressing at his new employers.
Playing in an unfamiliar position, the left-footed centre-back has played on the right side of a back three in his three pre-season friendlies, but it's not a cause for concern. "This is completely new to me, but I have no problem with it," the Frenchman told Bild.
As such, head coach Martín Demichelis is reportedly thinking about including the 24-year-old on his team council for 2026/27. Upon his unveiling, sporting director Marcel Schäfer described his new defensive stalwart as a "natural leader."
Seemingly settling in with ease, Estéve added: "I feel like I've been here longer. I already know some of the players, but I'm trying to integrate even more. I want to be close to all the players because at centre-back, I have to talk a lot and be loud on the pitch."
Leipzig begin their campaign at Eintracht Trier in the DFB Pokal first round before hosting Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga a week later.

#back #centre #july #french

VfB Stuttgart and Eintracht Frankfurt prevailed against Premier League opponents on Saturday. The Swabians beat David Moyes' Everton 3-1 at MHPArena, while Frankfurt recorded a 2-0 win over newly-promoted Hull City in Dreieich.
There was a great atmosphere in Stuttgart as goals from Nikolas Nartey, Ramon Hendriks and Badredine Bouanani helped them to a convincing win over the club that never got relegated from the Premier League.
However, Dan-Axel Zagadou's early substitution raised concern as the Frenchman has been struggling with injuries for years. Everton scored their goal from Beto's penalty-kick before half-time substitute Bouanani, who ****** isted the second goal for Hendriks, restored Stuttgart's two-goal advantage in injury-time.
Meanwhile, goals from Jonathan Burkardt and Love Arrhov helped Frankfurt to a straightforward win over Hull City. The game was played in four quarters of 30 minutes. Burkardt scored the opening goal in the first-half with the ****** ist coming straight from goalkeeper Kaua Santos.
Swedish youngster Arrhov sealed the win with a well-taken strike in the 71st minute. New signing Raphael Onyedika played for the Eagles.

#hull #hendriks

RB Leipzig midfielder ***** an Ouédraogo has suffered a capsular injury to his right shoulder and will be sidelined "for a few weeks," the Bundesliga club said in a statement on Saturday.
The Germany international sustained the injury after a tackle during the team's pre-season training camp in Austria.
"Following a thorough examination and careful consideration of the results, the decision has been made to treat the injury conservatively," the club said.
Ouédraogo was part of Germany's World Cup squad at the recent World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. He was called up after Bayern Munich's Lennart Karl suffered an injury.
Leipzig have a friendly match against Bayern on August 15 before the first official game of the season, a German Cup clash against Eintracht Trier on August 22.

#leipzig

Less than 24 hours after the sensational failure of the Fisnik Asllani transfer, Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig had more bad news to report. **** an Ouédraogo has suffered yet another injury setback and now risks missing the beginning of the 2026/27 Bundesliga campaign. Leipzig confirmed on Saturday that the 20-year-old sustained a capsule injury in his right shoulder during the club's summer training camp in Saalfelden, Austria.
There is at least some positive news. Following detailed examinations, RB have elected to treat the injury conservatively and Ouédraogo will not require surgery. The German international is nevertheless expected to remain sidelined for "a few weeks". The timeframe still places his availability for the beginning of new head coach Martin Demichelis' first competitive campaign in doubt.
Leipzig travel to Eintracht Trier in the first round of the DFB-Pokal on August 22 before opening their Bundesliga season against Borussia Mönchengladbach one week later. For Ouédraogo, the latest setback represents another frustrating interruption to a career that has repeatedly gathered spectacular momentum only for injuries to intervene.
The former Schalke academy talent endured an injury-plagued first season after joining Leipzig in 2024, missing substantial time with knee and complicated thigh problems. Even his place in Leipzig's plans appeared uncertain entering last season. Ouédraogo nevertheless quickly changed the conversation. After establishing himself under then-head coach Ole Werner, the midfielder earned his first Germany U21 call-up in October. Get German Football News documented Ouédraogo's rapid progression from an uncertain Leipzig squad role to German youth international.
The Mülheim native subsequently forced his way into Werner's starting XI and developed into one of Leipzig's most exciting players. His performances eventually earned him an unexpected promotion to Julian Nagelsmann's senior German national team. Following an injury to Mainz midfielder Nadiem Amiri, Ouédraogo received his first senior Germany call-up in November.

#injury #first #season #following

Magdeburg and Eintracht Braunschweig will start their 2026/27 season with the same opening matchday fixture from last term. The visitors took all three points that time, despite playing with ten for the entire second-half.
Both sides will aim for survival after occupying the last two spots just above the relegation zone in the 2025/26 season.
Here are how the two teams will start the game at Avent-Arena.
Magdeburg: Reimann ©; Bockhorn, Jaeckel, MacNulty, Nollenberger; Hyryläinen, Michel, Kwarteng; Iyoha, Zukowski, Atik
Braunschweig: Hoffmann ©; Aydin, Ehlers, Frenkert, Sanchez; Flick, Di Benedetto, Marie; Opoku, Urbich, Sturm

#start #here

Tottenham are continuing to push to strengthen their attack before the transfer window closes.
According to The Athletic, Spurs remain in contact with Manchester City over a move for Savinho, while Eintracht Frankfurt winger Jean-Mateo Bahoya is also among the club's attacking targets.
The north London side are also in discussions over a deal for Cody Gakpo, Fabrizio Romano reports.
Another forward linked with Tottenham is Monaco striker Folarin Balogun. The Sun claim the former ******* nal forward has been offered to Spurs as he looks to secure a return to the Premier League.
Meanwhile, ******* nal have agreed a deal worth £75m with Newcastle United for midfielder Bruno Guimaraes.

#TOTTENHAM #Athletic

Eintracht Frankfurt enter the 2026/27 Bundesliga season with renewed optimism after an ambitious summer rebuild led by returning head coach Adi Hütter. Having previously guided the Eagles to one of the club's most memorable modern eras between 2018 and 2021, the Austrian returns to Deutsche Bank Park tasked with restoring Die Adler as one of Germany's most competitive sides.
The early signs suggest the club have fully backed him.
One of Frankfurt's headline additions is Germany youth international Noël Aséko Nkili, whose arrival strengthens a midfield that requires greater athleticism and defensive intensity. Aséko is comfortable covering large ******* es, winning duels and progressing possession, qualities that fit naturally into Hütter's aggressive, transition-based style.
The Eagles have also focused on improving the overall balance of the squad rather than simply adding star names. Hütter's teams have historically relied on collective organisation, quick vertical attacks and relentless pressing, meaning every signing must fit the tactical identity instead of relying on individual brilliance.
That philosophy helped Frankfurt reach the Europa League semi-finals during Hütter's first spell and could once again become the foundation of the club's success.

#Eagles #deutsche #adler

Nottingham Forest eye Tijjani Reijnders, Tottenham want Savinho and Nicolas Jackson, Real Madrid resume Vinicius Jr contract talks and Chelsea close in on Pep Chavarria.
Manchester City's Netherlands midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, 28, has emerged as a £55m target for Nottingham Forest. (Mail)
United States striker Folarin Balogun, 25, has been offered to Tottenham via intermediaries, with the former ***** nal forward's future at Monaco uncertain. (Sun)
Spurs are in contact with Manchester City about Brazil winger Savinho, 22, while they are also interested in Liverpool and Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo, 27, and Eintracht Frankfurt's French attacking midfielder Jean-Matteo Bahoya, 21. (Athletic - subscription required)
If Savinho decides to join Tottenham, Manchester City will turn to Chelsea and Portugal winger Pedro Neto and have already made contact with the 26-year-old's camp over a possible move. (Fabrizio Romano)

#nottingham #tijjani

Mika Baur of Germany in action during the UEFA Under21 EURO Qualifier between Germany U21 and Northern Ireland U21 at Eintracht Stadion on March 27, 2026 in Braunschweig, Germany. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
The Scottish champions have already seen an opening offer of around £4 million rejected, with the newly-promoted Bundesliga outfit unwilling to part with the 22-year-old despite him entering the final year of his contract.
Although Paderborn insist they are under no pressure to cash in, Kettemann acknowledged there remains a possibility that both Baur and teammate Laurin could depart before the transfer window closes.
Even so, the German coach remains optimistic that his key players will stay put, while stressing the club has contingency plans in place should either move materialise.
Speaking to NW Sport via Glasgow Times, Kettemann said: "Of course, we're considering the worst-case scenario, that Mika and Laurin might leave. But I'm confident that both will stay.

#under21

Former Eintracht Frankfurt head coach Dino Toppmöller has defended his defensive record at the Bundesliga club, arguing that the disastrous final months of his tenure created a misleading impression of his work. Toppmöller – currently the head coach of RC Lens – spoke to France's L'Équipe about his previous Bundesliga **** ignment.
Toppmöller pointed out that Frankfurt possessed the Bundesliga's sixth-best defence during his first season and the fifth-best during his second.
His third campaign ended very differently. Frankfurt had conceded a league-high 39 goals through 18 fixtures when Toppmöller's position came under serious threat. The 3–3 draw with Werder Bremen that preceded his dismissal also exposed significant structural weaknesses, as examined in Get German Football News' detailed tactical review.
Toppmöller nevertheless believes important squad-planning decisions contributed to the decline.
"In my first two years in Frankfurt, we had the sixth- and fifth-best defences, respectively," the 45-year-old said. "But in the third season, we had sold our best defender, Willian Pacho [actually sold ahead of the 2024/25 campaign] and didn't replace him, against my advice. On top of that, our starting goalkeeper Kevin Trapp transferred to Paris FC."

#head #coach

Eintracht Frankfurt have officially announced the signing of Raphael Onyedika from Belgian champions Club Brugge, with the Nigerian international becoming the club's new midfield anchor ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
The 25-year-old has signed a long-term contract after Frankfurt reached an agreement with Brugge following weeks of negotiations. According to reports, the transfer package is worth up to €21 million, making Onyedika one of the club's biggest signings in club history: he is as expensive as Jonathan Burkardt and Ritsu Doan and is therefore sharing rank 4 in Frankfurt's most expensive signings with them.
Frankfurt had identified Onyedika as their top target for the defensive midfield role thanks to his physical presence, ball-winning ability, and extensive Champions League experience. The Nigerian made 183 appearances for Club Brugge, winning two Belgian league ******* les as well as the Belgian Cup and Super Cup during his four-year spell in Belgium.
The Eagles beat competition from several clubs, including teams from Saudi Arabia, to secure Onyedika's signature. His arrival is expected to give head coach Adi Hütter a commanding presence in midfield as Frankfurt aim to return to European competition after missing out last season.

#onyedika #club #midfield #year

According to Abendzeitung journalist Maximilian Koch, Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies could miss the team's tour of Asia.
Davies, who missed a chunk of last season due to recovery from his ACL tear has been battling a muscular issue for months. The injury limited Davies' participation at the World Cup and still appears to be a major issue for the Canadian star:
Alphonso Davies, der erst in dieser Woche ins Mannschaftstraining zurückgekehrt ist, fehlt heute im Aufgebot. Ob er mit auf die Asien-Tour geht, wird noch entschieden. #FCBayern Abendzeitung pic.twitter.com/QRDBMZRSkg
Alphonso Davies, who only returned to team training this week, is absent from the squad today. Whether he will join the Asia tour is yet to be decided. #FCBayern
Abendzeitung
Davies' injury history seems to be a point of frustration for the Bavarians, who were wary enough of it to go out and buy former Eintracht Frankfurt left-back Nathaniel Brown earlier this summer.

#abendzeitung

Hugo Larsson sees no reason to leave Eintracht Frankfurt this summer. The Swedish midfielder was previously very close to leaving the club for the Saudi Pro League, but he has now ruled out any possibility for this summer.
"I'm really very happy here. My girlfriend feels comfortable too as she loves Frankfurt. I have no plans to leave. It's the same story every year." said Larsson in an interview with FR (via Christopher Michel).
The 22-year-old missed out on playing at the World Cup as Sweden's coach Graham Potter omitted him in an unexpected decision. Larsson scored 10 goals in 119 appearances for the Eagles since joining them from Malmo.
The central midfielder also discussed his preferences in terms of playing position. "I already noticed at the start of the last season that my role would change. I was more of a number six. That's not how I became so successful in this club.
"I became successful because I had a 'free' role. At the side of Ellyes (Skhiri) I had a lot of freedom. I'm confident enough to say that I can ******* s where I can best help the team and where they need me. As a holding six, you don't have those freedoms."

#club #became

According to Abendzeitung journalist Maximilian Koch, Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies could miss the team's tour of Asia.
Davies, who missed a chunk of last season due to recovery from his ACL tear has been battling a muscular issue for months. The injury limited Davies' participation at the World Cup and still appears to be a major issue for the Canadian star:
Alphonso Davies, who only returned to team training this week, is absent from the squad today. Whether he will join the Asia tour is yet to be decided. #FCBayern
Abendzeitung
Davies' injury history seems to be a point of frustration for the Bavarians, who were wary enough of it to go out and buy former Eintracht Frankfurt left-back Nathaniel Brown earlier this summer.
Now, it might just make sense to take a step back and ensure that Davies can get full healthy. The 25-year-old has had three injuries since last February and could be at risk of being in a perpetual state of injury if he does not take the proper time to rest and recovery.

#abendzeitung #alphonso #tour

Left back Nathaniel Brown has said he wants to continu8e to impress and Bayern Munich like at previous club Eintracht Frankfurt and in the German national team.
"I want to show what I can do. I know what I can do and what I can't," Brown said at his presentation on Wednesday at Bayern's pre-season training camp in the Bavarian town of Rottach-Egern.
"The coach has already shown me what I do well. I've spoken with him a lot. I want to play as many games as possible, help the team, and ultimately win ***** les."
Brown will compete with Alphonso Davies for the left back position. The Canada captain has been plagued by injuries, but Bayern board member for sport Max Eberl said they are not really considering selling him.
Brown made a big impression in Frankfurt which brought him into the national team, where he was among very few German players to do well at the World Cup where the team went out in the last 32.

#team #german #national #well

Eintracht Frankfurt's previously reported signing of Brazilian centre back Otávio has been officially confirmed. Almost all reliable German footballing media sources confirm that the Bundesliga club has paid €4.5m to secure the 20-year-old's services. Otávio's new contract in Hessen runs through 2031. The new signing shall receive a chance to work directly ahead of his countryman Kaua Santos, who currently competes with Michael Zetterer for the No. 1 slot in goal.
"With Otávio, we're bringing in a young and highly talented center back with a lot of potential for development," SGE sporting director Timmo Hrdung noted in a club statement. "He's left-footed, tall, athletic, and fast, and combines that with a strong defensive mindset—something we specifically want to strengthen in our squad. We're convinced that he'll enjoy plenty of success here at Eintracht."
"Joining a club with such a rich tradition – one that regularly competes in major tournaments – is a dream come true and a very important step in my career," the player himself added. "I'd like to thank everyone who believes in me and has been part of my journey so far. Now a new challenge begins. I arrive with a strong determination and am ready for this challenge."
GGFN | Peter Weis

#we 're #brazilian

After Leon Goretzka's departure, questions were raised over who would take his spot in the midfield. Following an impressive season on loan at Hannover, many thought Noël Aséko Nkili would be the man for the job. However, the 20-year-old midfielder was sold to Eintracht Frankfurt — leaving many scratching their heads.
It seems as though Bayern had Goretzka's replacement lined up since the start of the year.
Bara Sapoko Ndiaye impressed in his cameo appearances towards the end of Bayern's season. So much so that Die Rekordmeister decided to sign the 18-year-old talent from Gambian academy Gambino Stars Africa permanently.
Bayern Munich Sporting Director Christoph Freund confirmed the signing on Saturday, reports two days later confirming that Ndiaye signed a five-year contract.
Now according to Florian Plettenberg (as captured by iMiaSanMia), we know how much Bayern paid for Ndiaye.

#much

This time last year the young and talented Motherwell youngster Lennon Miller was a reported Celtic target, only for the highly regarded midfielder to go and crush any hopes the Celtic supporters had of seeing him in the hoops when he signed for Serie A side Udinese in a £4.5 million plus deal.
Miller who just missed out on a place in the Scotland World Cup squad has impressed at the Italian side, making 26 appearances, and scoring one goal in all competitions in his debut campaign.
In my opinion, he's a player Celtic should still be interested in, as we look to bolster our midfield, an area which will be ever so weaker come the start of the new Scottish Premiership campaign, due to the impending departures of Arne Engels, and Reo Hatate.
Mika Baur of Germany in action during the UEFA Under21 EURO Qualifier between Germany U21 and Northern Ireland U21 at Eintracht Stadion on March 27, 2026 in Braunschweig, Germany. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Mika Baur is on the cusp of signing to plug the gap that will be created in the aforementioned players inevitable departures, but we still need a couple of more new faces to bulk up that area, even more so if our skipper Callum McGregor decides to move on.

#mika

Xaver Schlager signed a two-year deal at Premier League club Nottingham Forest after the end of his RB Leipzig contract. The Austrian international will be coached by his compatriot Oliver Glasner as the ex-Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt boss took over at the two-time European Cup winners this summer.
Schlager played 150 Bundesliga games for VfL Wolfsburg and RB Leipzig in the past seven seasons. He first met with Glasner during his time at Wolfsburg before his move to Leipzig for €12 million in 2022.
After suffering from a serious injury in the previous season, Schlager ended his RedBull Arena stay strongly as he helped them secure Champions League football. The 28-year-old featured in all four games for Austria at the World Cup as they were eliminated by the eventual champions Spain in the Round of 32.

#leipzig #xaver

Eintracht Frankfurt omitted four first-team players from their training camp in Grassau. The club announced that Ellyes Skhiri has been released for transfer talks with another club. Although they didn’t specify the name of the club, the central midfielder has been heavily linked with a return to Köln in recent weeks.
The 31-year-old had a dismal World Cup campaign with Tunisia after getting the captain’s armband ahead of the tournament. Skhiri played four seasons at the heart of Köln's midfield before joining Eintracht Frankfurt as a free agent in 2023. His current contract at Frankfurt will also expire at the end of the upcoming season.
Frankfurt also left strikers Michy Batshuayi, Noel Futkeu and Jessic Ngankam from their squad joining pre-season training. Batshuayi has only played 10 games in all competitions during the 2025/26 season. Frankfurt exercised their option to re-sign the 2. Bundesliga top-scorer Futkeu from Greuther Fürth, while the ex-Hertha striker Ngankam spent the second half of last season at Wolfsberger AC in Austria.
Meanwhile, Junior Dina Ebimbe and Niels Nkounkou are part of the team traveling to Bavaria. The former was close to joining Schalke 04, but Adi Hütter is reportedly in favor of keeping him at the club. Nonetheless, the newly-promoted side still fancy their chances of completing the transfer as Frankfurt want him to extend his contract.

#futkeu #four

Mika Baur of Germany in action during the UEFA Under21 EURO Qualifier between Germany U21 and Northern Ireland U21 at Eintracht Stadion on March 27, 2026 in Braunschweig, Germany. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
The reigning Scottish Premiership Champions are said to be locked in talks with the German U21 cap’s club SC Paderborn at present, in the hopes of finalising a deal for the midfielder.
In a bolt out of the blue earlier this week, Baur’s name hit the headlines in connection with Celtic when both Fabrizio Romano and Florian Plettenberg reported that Martin O’Neill’s side were in talks with the 22-year-old central midfield ace, having already agreed personal terms on a possible contract with the player. This meant that only a fee had to be agreed between Celtic and Paderborn.
Easier said than done, wherever Michael Nicholson is concerned many Celtic supporters immediately thought.
Nevertheless, it was a much needed update and shot in the arm for a support that has grown increasingly frustrated and even angry at the way the club slowly conducts it’s business in the transfer market for some time now.

#agreed #under21

Good Vibes in the Kitzbühel Alps: Head coach Markus Högner painted a positive picture of the BVB Women following their week-long training camp: “The conditions here are excellent. We’ve developed a playbook and are working on our principles both offensively and defensively.” On the well-maintained training fields in Austria, Markus Högner noted the team’s exceptional dedication, and he added that they were also having plenty of fun during recreational activities—which are especially important for integrating the seven new signings.
After just two training sessions, the BVB Women kicked off their summer preparations with a 5–2 friendly win against Eintracht Frankfurt II. Three new signings—Lara Schmidt, Ramona Maier, and Jacqueline Meißner—all scored in their first appearance for the Black and Yellows. Ahead of the friendly against Bundesliga promoted side Mainz 05, the head coach explained: “During the first week of training, there was still too much initial frantic activity in some situations. We’re improving from session to session and are looking forward to a hard-fought test against the Mainz women.”
A perfect start for the Black and Yellows: Markus Högner’s team came out determined and started energetically at the Hopfgarten sports field. The early stages were dominated by a confident BVB Women team, which was awarded its second corner kick as early as the seventh minute. After a set piece taken by Rita Schumacher, the ball found its way to Alex Popp, who clinically headed home her first chance of the game to give BVB a 1-0 lead (7th minute)—her debut goal for the Black and Yellows! Just three minutes later, the BVB Women were awarded a penalty kick. Rita Schumacher, last season’s top scorer, stepped up and slotted the ball into the right corner to make it 2–0 (10th minute).
There was no sign of the pace slowing down: The early one-two punch served as a wake-up call for the Mainz women, who pulled one back in the 21st minute after a long ball found striker Fetaj’s head. And the action continued in quick succession. On one end, goal-scorer Alex Popp was in exactly the right spot on a set piece, but her second header hit only the crossbar. In the immediate counterattack, Mainz 05 shifted gears and tied the game at 2–2 (28th minute) through Leonie Stöhr, who tapped in a cross from two meters out.
In the back-and-forth offensive exchange between the two teams, the BVB Women found another answer. Sixty seconds after the equalizer: Ramona Maier finished off a pinpoint through ball from Noreen Günnewig with a one-touch finish into the left corner to regain the lead—3–2 in the 29th minute. For Maier, who joined BVB from SGS Essen this summer, it was already her second goal in her second game for the BVB Women.

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