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With the tour clashing with the SA20, many of the first-choice players, including all of the bowling attack, is missing

Firdose Moonda30-Dec-2023Uncapped opening batter Neil Brand has been named South Africa’s captain for their two-Test tour to New Zealand, which starts on February 4 and clashes with the SA20. South Africa will travel with a makeshift squad, which features only three players that are part of the ongoing series against India: Keegan Petersen, David Bedingham and Zubayr Hamza, who was added as a replacement following Temba Bavuma’s hamstring injury. None of the first-choice bowling attack are available for the series, which is part of the World Test Championship (WTC).The bulk of the squad currently playing the India series will be unavailable because they will be engaged in the SA20 which begins on January 10. That ruled out Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jansen, Nandre Burger, Wiaan Mulder, Gerald Coetzee, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Keshav Maharaj. Dean Elgar will not be involved in the T20 tournament but he is retiring from Test cricket in the New Year.Red-ball coach Shukri Conrad’s plans were dealt a last-minute blow as well when Durban’s Super Giants signed Tony de Zorzi, who was slated to open the batting for South Africa in New Zealand, on Thursday morning. In all South Africa have seven uncapped players to go with seven capped players. Seamer Duanne Olivier, who played 15 Tests between 2017 and 2022 is the most experienced, followed by Petersen (12).Related

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South Africa’s 2023-25 WTC campaign began on Boxing Day, where they beat India by an innings and 32 runs to get their first points on the board. They will only play two-Test series for the entirety of this campaign including away trips to New Zealand, the West Indies and Bangladesh, and home series against India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. CSA attempted to get the New Zealand series moved in order to choose a stronger squad but was unable to and has left Conrad with the task of trying to get away points without his best players. But, South Africa have never lost a Test series to New Zealand and Conrad had earlier said he “backs himself to come back with something” from a trip where he could hand on as many as seven debuts.”The players picked for this tour have every chance of challenging New Zealand and we have full confidence they will do exactly that when we arrive for the first Test match at Mount Maunganui,” he said in a statement put out by CSA. “Most of these guys participated in the recent A series against West Indies where they showed that they have what it takes against players of international calibre. That experience will no doubt leave them in a better position for what we expect to be a testing series in New Zealand.”South Africa will travel with their usual support staff, none of whom are involved in the SA20, apart from batting consultant Ashwell Prince, who joined them for the India Tests. Prince is commentating on the SA20 and Imraan Khan, former Test batter and current Dolphins coach, will go to New Zealand in that role for this series.South Africa Test squad: Neil Brand (capt), David Bedingham, Ruan de Swardt, Clyde Fortuin (wk), Zubayr Hamza, Tshepo Moreki, Mihlali Mpongwana, Duanne Olivier, Dane Paterson, Keegan Petersen, Dane Piedt, Raynard van Tonder, Shaun von Berg, Khaya Zondo

Wrexham have confirmed the arrival of New Zealand international Liberato Cacace, who has committed to a three-year contract that will keep him at the club until 2028. The 24-year-old left-back becomes the latest addition to Phil Parkinson’s squad as the club builds toward a historic campaign in the EFL Championship.

Cacace has joined the Red DragonsIs reported to be a record-breaking transfer for WrexhamWill boost competition on the left flankFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The defender joins Wrexham from Italian outfit Empoli, where he spent the past three years, on a reported club record deal of €2.5 million (£2.16m/$3m). His time in Serie A came to an end after Empoli’s relegation last season, prompting him to seek a new challenge. Wrexham, riding high after three consecutive promotions, provided the perfect landing spot.

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With the arrival of Cacace, the left side of Wrexham’s formation suddenly looks fiercely competitive. He will battle for minutes alongside veteran and team captain James McClean, as well as fellow full-backs Seb Revan and Jacob Mendy.

WHAT CACACE SAID

Cacace said: “I’m absolutely delighted to sign for this historic club and I just can’t wait to get started. Looking from the outside, what they are creating here is something I want to be part of. The family they have here – it’s a tight-knit club and that enticed me. I had a great phone call with the manager and after that I really wanted to sign.”

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Cacace’s profile brings a distinct level of pedigree to Wrexham. Having previously been shortlisted for the 2024 FIFA Best XI, he brings international experience and a history of competing at the highest levels in Belgium and Italy. His pace, crossing ability and versatility offer Phil Parkinson more tactical flexibility going into a demanding campaign.

Bayern Munich star Harry Kane has been told he made a "massive mistake" with a Tottenham contract that scuppered a Manchester City move.

Kane is a Tottenham legendTold he made a contract errorNow starring at Bayern MunichFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Arsenal legend Ian Wright believes it was "crazy" for England captain Kane to sign a six-year deal with Tottenham back in 2018, a decision that arguably put pay to a 2021 switch to Manchester City. Pep Guardiola's side bid £100 million ($132.7m) for the striker but Spurs wanted more before he joined Bayern two years later.

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He said on the SDS YouTube channel: "You think about that deal for Harry Kane, is he going to go to Man City? I was excited for him. I was thinking it was going to happen, but he signed a new contract before the 2018 World Cup, and for me, that was a massive mistake, that was crazy."

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If Kane had moved to City, it is unlikely they would have signed the prolific Erling Haaland in 2022. The England star missed out on the chance to win his first-ever major trophy earlier, something he finally achieved with Bayern's Bundesliga title success earlier this year. We may never know whether Kane regrets signing that Spurs contract all those years ago but he has still had a career to be proud of. 

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Before Kane's Bayern begin their Bundesliga title defence later this month, the 32-year-old could feature for the German giants in their pre-season friendlies against Lyon, Tottenham and Grasshoppers on August 2, 7 and 12 respectively.

He found success on India’s slower surfaces last year, and with the WI and USA offering somewhat similar conditions, Behrendorff hopes to make the same impact

Tristan Lavalette05-Feb-2024Again fit and firing, and coming off an eye-catching year where he enjoyed a breakout IPL season, left-arm quick Jason Behrendorff hopes his success on slower surfaces will prove alluring as the national hierarchy contemplate Australia’s squad for the T20 World Cup.Behrendorff will be pushing his selection case in the upcoming three-match T20I series against West Indies starting on Friday in Hobart. He is one of four quicks in Australia’s squad with Behrendorff likely to play in two of the matches, including game three at Optus Stadium in what will be his first international appearance on his home ground.”There’s probably going to be a bit of rotation [with the quicks],” Behrendorff told reporters in Perth. “Anytime you get to play cricket for Australia in a World Cup year… it’s a great opportunity to put your name up. I’m really happy that I’m involved in the squad. Hopefully, I can continue to play some good cricket.”Behrendorff, 33, has long been identified as an appealing option for Australia. Towering at 6 foot 4, Behrendorff generates an awkward bounce and can swing the ball sharply. Behrendorff was once considered a potential Test replacement for Mitchell Johnson, but constant back issues meant he had to focus on the shorter formats.He has not played a first-class match since late 2017, but continually starred, over the years, for BBL powerhouse Perth Scorchers and for Western Australia in the 50-over Marsh Cup.Related

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Behrendorff occasionally played white-ball cricket for Australia and memorably claimed a five-wicket haul at Lord’s during the 2019 World Cup, where he ripped through eventual champions England in a 64-run Australia victory.But Behrendorff’s body constantly betrayed him and he appeared to be overtaken by a slew of emerging quicks, including state team-mates Jhye Richardson and Lance Morris.As he entered his 30s, there were fears that Behrendorff might have missed his chance but he’s been able to stay on the park for the last couple of years leading to a revival at the international level.”I’ve had a decent run at just playing cricket and staying on the park, so I’ve been able to develop my game and just get that consistency,” he said. “That was the thing with those injuries from 24 to 29, I played maybe six months out of every 12.”Hopefully I can really tack that [years] onto the back end of my career and play as much as I possibly can into my late 30s.”After an impressive IPL season with Mumbai Indians, where he claimed 14 wickets in 12 matches, Behrendorff last September ended a two-year international absence when he took 2 for 25 in a T20I against South Africa in Durban.He subsequently was a standout for Australia during the now-forgotten T20I series against India in the immediate aftermath of the World Cup. In uncompromising conditions for quicks, Behrendorff was outstanding in four matches with 6 wickets at 17.83 and an economy rate of 6.68.Behrendorff had an epic performance of 1 for 12 in four overs, including 17 dots, to defy the conditions in Guwahati as India racked up 222 for 3 in game three.He was a constant threat with the new ball in trademark fashion but also showed his prowess at bowling through different phases in the innings as he unfurled his repertoire of canny slower balls, cutters and yorkers. It led to Behrendorff recently being named Australia’s T20I player of the year.”I played four out of five games and there were short turnarounds, so that was really a big confidence boost for me in terms of getting on the park day after day,” Beherendorff said. “I was able to execute my skills, that was the biggest thing for me.”It was a great learning opportunity for me and getting to bowl in different phases of the innings in an international match.”The slower surfaces in India are somewhat similar to the pitches in the Caribbean, where Australia will be entirely based at the T20 World Cup also co-hosted by the United States.Australia haven’t toured the Caribbean often in the past decade, but Behrendorff did play two T20Is in Saint Lucia in 2021. Australia will travel there to play Scotland in a group fixture on June 15.”It was an amazing experience to play over there…get used to those sorts of wickets which are a bit different,” he said. “Some of them are similar to what we faced in India in recent times.”So I guess drawing on that bank of knowledge, knowing what I do really well but also adapt to those conditions and the size of the grounds [if he plays].”While he waits for his T20 World Cup fate, Behrendorff will soon return to Mumbai as he looks to build on last season’s IPL campaign.”It’s an exciting period with Hardik Pandya coming back and it’s going to be a great feel around that group again,” he said. “Hopefully we can get back up towards the top of the table.”

Bangladesh, the hosts of the T20 World Cup later this year, have now lost eight home T20Is in a row

Srinidhi Ramanujam09-May-2024India extended their dominance over Bangladesh to complete a 5-0 T20I series sweep with a 21-run win in the fifth and final game in Sylhet on Thursday. India posted 156 for 5 after opting to bat, thanks to strong hands from D Hemalatha, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana and a late cameo from Richa Ghosh. Though Ritu Moni and Shorifa Khatun fought back in the second half of the chase after Radha Yadav’s three-wicket burst, it wasn’t enough for a consolation win for Bangladesh.Radha, on her comeback for India after being off the national radar for a year, ended the series as the most successful bowler with ten wickets, which got her the Player-of-the-Series award to go with the Player-of-the-Match award for her three-wicket haul on Thursday.Related

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Coming off a 2-1 T20I series defeat at home against Australia, India will be happy to have produced a convincing series victory in Bangladesh, where the T20 World Cup will be held in October. Bangladesh, though, have now lost eight T20Is in a row now, five here and three earlier against Australia, all at home.But, despite losing five wickets by the halfway stage in the chase, Bangladesh went past the 120-run mark for the first time in the series, thanks to Moni’s 33-ball 37 and Shorifa’s unbeaten 28 from 21 balls. However, there was little of note from the other batters.Titas Sadhu gave India their first breakthrough when she removed Sobhana Mostary for a nine-ball 13 in the third over. In the next over, Radha struck, dismissing Dilara Akter as she miscued a pull to mid-off. Radha’s third double-wicket over of the series came in the ninth of the innings when she knocked out Nigar Sultana’s stump with a loopy delivery that spun in, and three balls later, she trapped Rubya Haider lbw for 20. After that over, she had figures of 2-0-4-3. She finished with 3 for 24 after being targeted by Moni and Shorifa.After ten overs, Bangladesh were 52 for 5, needing 105 from the remaining 60 balls.But Moni fought back. She charged down the track against the spinners, used width when it was on offer to score towards backward point, and played a ramp shot to Pooja Vastrakar as well. With Shorifa , she shared a 57-run partnership off 41 balls for the sixth wicket, bringing the equation down to 53 runs from 24 balls. However, S Asha, playing her second T20I, dismissed Moni in the 17th over to end Bangladesh’s hopes. Asha finished with 2 for 25 from her four overs.Smriti Mandhana was one of three India batters to get into the 30s•BCBHemalatha, Mandhana, Harmanpreet and Ghosh shine with the batWith Bangladesh sloppy in the field, India raced to 71 for 2 after ten overs, Mandhana and Hemalatha taking control after Shafali Verma, playing her 100th international game, fell early. Mandhana, in particular, showed good intent in her 25-ball 33, hitting four clean fours and an inside-out six over extra cover off offspinner Sultana Khatun. However, she was given out lbw in the eighth over, with replays suggesting that the ball hit her pad just outside off stump as she missed with an attempted back-foot punch. No DRS meant Mandhana had to go.Hemalatha, at No. 3, started slowly, scoring 13 off her first 17 balls. She was also dropped when on 8. However, she accelerated, finding her touch soon to score 37 off 28 balls. This included two powerful hits to long-on and long-off for sixes and two fours – a sweep and a swpie over midwicket after charging down the track.India’s innings really took off when she was joined by Harmanpreet. The two scored 60 off 42 deliveries for the third wicket with the India captain chipping in with a 24-ball 30. After a run-a-ball 12, Harmanpreet picked up her pace, hitting three fours off Moni in the 13th over. However, Harmanpreet’s wicket – trapped lbw by left-arm spinner Nahida Akter when she went across for a sweep shot – triggered a mini collapse as India went from 122 for 2 to 124 for 5 in six balls.After a few quiet overs, Ghosh injected some impetus into the innings, teeing off to hit an unbeaten 28 off 17 balls, hitting three fours and a six over the bowlers’ head to help India ger past 150, which was well beyond Bangladesh’s reach.

Former Blackburn Women's star Kelsie Burrows has been hit with a 16-match suspension for an alleged assault on a match official. Burrows was shown a red card after Cliftonville Women secured a 2-0 victory over Glentoran Women on July 25.

Burrows receives 16-game suspensionIncident occurred after a win over GlentoranCliftonville will be appealing the decisionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

As reports, the incident is alleged to have occurred after the game, with referee Simon Bickerstaff showing Burrows a red card, though the exact nature of the confrontation remains unknown. The win elevated Cliftonville to a strong position in Northern Ireland's Women's Premiership, putting them just six points behind current leaders Linfield with two games still in hand, but the controversy surrounding Burrows now threatens to overshadow their season.

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The fallout from the Glentoran match wasn’t limited to Burrows, though. Cliftonville coach Brendan Lynch has also received a three-game touchline ban as punishment for "entering the field of play to confront a match official".

DID YOU KNOW?

Burrows' football journey includes two stints with Linfield and a spell in England with Blackburn Rovers in the Women’s Championship. She has been a central figure for Cliftonville since joining in July 2021 from Linfield. The 24-year-old, who is also a Northern Ireland international, played a pivotal role in helping the club secure its first-ever league title in 2022. More recently, Burrows captained the side through a historic 2024 season in which they completed a domestic treble, winning every single match in the league.

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The Irish Football Association has confirmed that Burrows' suspension is effective immediately and will span across all competitions. However, Cliftonville are actively appealing the decision, citing grounds they believe justify a review. Due to the appeal being lodged, Burrows remains eligible to feature in the Reds' next fixture against the Crusaders Strikers on Friday.

Left armer arrives to reinforce club’s bowling stocks ahead of Sri Lanka Test series in August

ESPNcricinfo staff18-May-2024Yorkshire have signed Sri Lanka quick Vishwa Fernando for their next three County Championship matches.The left-arm seamer, who has 64 Test wickets at 33.09 in 23 caps, is due to be available for fixtures against Northamptonshire, Gloucestershire and Derbyshire. Fernando played two matches for Durham last season, taking seven wickets at 22.42 for the eventual Division Two champions.Fernando’s acquisition will bolster Yorkshire’s bowling resources, with Matthew Fisher, Mickey Edwards and Matt Milnes all missing through injury. The club went into the latest round without a win in five matches since the start of the season – including a defeat against Middlesex – which has them sixth out of eight in Division Two.The hope is Fernando will help kickstart a much-needed tilt at promotion. He put in strong performances in Sri Lanka’s 2-0 Test series win in Bangladesh which concluded at the start of April. He finished second in the wicket-taking charts with 10 dismissals at 16.10, and will be in the mix for Sri Lanka’s tour of England later this summer, with the first of three Tests beginning on August 21 at Emirates Old Trafford.The 32-year-old has already met up with his county teammates, who are currently in action against Sussex down at Hove, and will turn out for Yorkshire next week against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road. Signed solely on a red ball deal, Fernando will be back in action when the County Championship returns on June 23 as the Vitality Blast takes over the calendar. Yorkshire host Gloucestershire at Scarborough for that round before Fernando’s final appearance at Chesterfield against Derbyshire, which begins on June 30.He will take Yorkshire’s second overseas in the Championship, alongside skipper Shan Masood. South African Donovan Ferreira has already been confirmed as the county’s overseas for the Blast.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has confirmed new £29.5 million signing Jeremie Frimpong is being considered as a temporary replacement for Mohamed Salah, who is set to miss a chunk of the 2025-26 season due to the Africa Cup of Nations. The Dutchman has admitted the Egyptian’s absence influenced transfer plans as the right-back could shift from defence to attack.

Frimpong can fill in for Salah temporarilyEgyptian expected to miss six games during AFCONSlot confirms Frimpong can play right wing if neededFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Frimpong joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen this summer in a deal worth nearly £30m. While initially signed to bolster the right-back slot following Trent Alexander-Arnold's departure, Slot now sees him as a versatile option to cover for Salah. The Egyptian is set to miss several games in December and January due to his AFCON commitments with Egypt.

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When asked whether he has been shaping his squad with the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations in mind, Slot said: "Yes, we definitely thought about that. We brought in Jeremie Frimpong because we think he can play as a right full-back, but I also think and feel he can play as a right-winger.

"I, we, did think about the fact that we're going to miss Mo, I think as a maximum for six games – but that's quite a lot in the Premier League, especially if you see how well he did last season. Signing Jeremie Frimpong was for multiple reasons but one of them was also that he could replace Mo if Mo is not there. There are other options for me to replace Mo with as well – but Jeremie is definitely one of them."

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Salah could miss up to six matches if Egypt go deep in the tournament. That includes key Premier League games against Tottenham Hotspur, Wolves, Leeds United, Fulham and possibly a major clash against Arsenal. Frimpong’s versatility could prove vital in maintaining Liverpool’s attacking rhythm during that crucial period.

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With AFCON set to start on December 21, Slot will need to finalise his backup plans early. Frimpong is expected to get minutes in advanced roles during early matches as Liverpool will be keen on affording the Dutchman some minutes before the start of AFCON. Salah’s absence may also offer opportunities to other wide players in the squad.

GOAL breaks down expectations for U.S. internationals ahead of the upcoming European season

The European seasons have arrived. For Americans Abroad, the clock continues to tick, another landmark down on the road to the 2026 World Cup. This weekend, competitions throughout Europe will kick off – and some already began.

With the transfer window open until the end of the month, pieces continue to move around the chessboard. By and large, thought, this is it: the final club season before national teams gather for the World Cup next summer. That comes with pressure, particularly on the group of U.S. men's national team stars jostling for places.

Some will be fighting on their league's elite teams. Americans are key pieces at both PSV and Celtic, two clubs that will look to continue their dominance atop their leagues. Others will be looking to get there, with Johnny Cardoso's Atletico Madrid, Folarin Balogun's Monaco and Tim Weah's Marseille eager to leap back into title contention against the superpowers in the league.

Ahead the European season, GOAL takes a closer look at the expectations for Americans Abroad. Next up: a look at Ligue 1, La Liga, the Eredivisie and more.

 |  | GettyLigue 1

There's a chance that two-thirds of the USMNT's starting attack at next summer's World Cup will have earned their way there in France's top flight.

Balogun has been in the league, first on loan with Reims and now with Monaco, but the USMNT striker heads into this season with a point to prove. After injuries derailed last season for both club and country, he is now a part of a very different Monaco team, one that features plenty of competition in the attack as they look to reclaim their place among Ligue 1's elite.

Marseille were right up there last season, finishing second, and they signed Weah ahead of this season. The USMNT winger has joined the club on an initial loan with an obligation to buy, which means that Marseille will have plans to utilize him this season and beyond. It remains to be seen if Weah is more winger or wingback, much like it was when he was at Juventus.

Tanner Tessmann is at another one of the league's big clubs, Lyon, who will be riding high after surviving chaos this summer. Cleared to remain in Ligue 1 and play in Europa League after being threatened with relegation due to financial issues, Lyon's situation has settled.  Tessmann wants to lock down a spot as a deep-lying midfielder despite competition from former Liverpool youngster Tyler Morton. He faces similar competition with the USMNT after missing out on the Gold Cup.

And, finally, there's Mark McKenzie at Toulouse. The centerback stepped up last season, proving that he can play at a higher level after moving to Ligue 1 from Belgium. He'll look to take it one step further now in his sophomore season as he, too, finds himself in a positional battle with the U.S., having served as a backup to Chris Richards and Tim Ream this summer.

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There were a number of big USMNT transfers this summer. Johnny Cardoso's move to Atletico Madrid might be the biggest. Despite injury issues this summer, it was an eventful offseason for Cardoso, who completed his $35 million move to one of La Liga's biggest clubs.

The transfer was a like-for-like replacement for Rodrigo de Paul, who linked up with old pal Lionel Messi and Inter Miami. At Atleti, Cardoso will now play under one of the best and most passionate head coaches in the game has, Diego Simeone, as he looks to put his USMNT struggles behind him at one of the world's biggest and best clubs.

He's not the only American in La Liga this season. Reports out of Spain indicate that Diego Kochen may get time in goal for Barcelona to start the season amid a goalkeeper registration crisis. It would be a huge moment for the young shot-stopper, one that would certainly aid his ambitions of making a push towards the World Cup roster at just 19 years old.

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The season has already started for PSV, and it's started well. They've already lifted the Johan Cruyff Cup, earning a bit of silverware before then winning their first match of the Eredivisie campaign.

Sergino Dest is off to a strong start, with goals in each of those two matches. After missing so much of last season with an ACL injury, Dest looks eager to make up for lost time. That's huge news for both PSV and the USMNT, who are surely glad to welcome back a defender that offers something totally unique and dangerous in the attacking end.

Ricardo Pepi, ultimately, is the guy tasked with making things happen in that attacking end, and he, like Dest, is on the comeback trail. The striker was as hot as any forward in the world in January, but a knee injury knocked him out for the rest of the season. PSV have been content to ease him in since, giving him a 29-minute run-out in the cup win.

Also in the Eredivisie? Taylor Booth, a player with two USMNT caps. After joining Twente in February, he'll be eager to lock down a bigger role with the club as he looks to prove he has the quality to be a part of the U.S. player pool.

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In Scotland, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty and Celtic will look to claim yet another league title, having lifted the trophy last season. Celtic, as always, are a dominant force in their domestic league, but both American defenders will face competition for centerback spots in a team that continues to upgrade it's squad all over the pitch.

Belgium, meanwhile, is home to a few USMNT hopefuls. Marlon Fossey is off to a good start to the season with Standard Liege, while Griffin Yow and Bryan Reynolds remain at Westerlo for the time being despite transfer rumors all summer long.

In terms of youngsters, keep an eye on Josh Wynder as he looks to break through at Benfica.

Bayern Munich look set to miss out on signing Xavi Simons after the RB Leipzig star reiterated his desire to join Chelsea this summer.

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The Bundesliga giants have been strongly linked with a move for Simons, 22, after the Netherlands international told Leipzig he wished to leave the club following their failure to qualify for any form of European football. And according to Sky reporter Florian Plettenberg, Bayern have since made a fresh enquiry to Simons' camp as they look to gauge his interest in moving to Munich.

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However according to Plettenberg, Bayern have been told Simons only has eyes for Chelsea and is waiting for the Premier League side to agree a deal with Leipzig. The Blues are currently trying to offload players in order to raise enough money to match Leipzig's reported £60 million ($81m) valuation.

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In what could turn out to be a transfer merry-go-round between the three clubs, the report also claims Bayern are in talks with Chelsea to sign forward Christopher Nkunku. And should a deal be agreed between the two clubs, Enzo Maresca's Chelsea may then have the means to bring Simons to Stamford Bridge.

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Bayern have the chance to earn their first piece of silverware of the new season when they take on Stuttgart in the German Super Cup on Saturday. Meanwhile, Leipzig are set to face SV Sandhausen in the German Cup on the same day, whereas Chelsea will lock horns with Crystal Palace in their opening Premier League fixture on Sunday.