Liverpool will have a new man in the dugout when the 2026/27 Premier League season gets underway.
The Reds made the somewhat surprising decision to dispense with Arne Slot’s services at the end of the 2025/26 campaign, with Liverpool having finished fifth.
That came a year after Slot had guided the Reds to the Premier League title in his first season in England.
The new man to take charge at Anfield looks set to be Andoni Iraola, following the 43-year-old’s exit from Bournemouth at the end of his contract at the Vitality Stadium.
Iraola will arrive at Liverpool after a three-year spell on the south coast with Bournemouth, having spent three years prior to that at Rayo Vallecano.
His first task will be regarding the Reds’ transfer business, with a number of players linked with a move to Anfield already – namely Yan Diomande and Marc Pubill. But could Iraola return to the south coast to raid his old club for players?
GIVEMESPORT takes a look at the Burnemouth stars that could follow Iraola to the north west.
Wide forwards are a top priority for Liverpool
With Mohamed Salah leaving the club after agreeing to terminate his contract a year early and with question marks over the futures of the likes of Federico Chiesa and Cody Gakpo, Liverpool will aim to bring in at least one wide attacking player when the summer transfer window opens.
Diomande has been heavily linked with a move from RB Leipzig, although an £87million price tag will have to be negotiated to get a deal over the line.
There may be a similar option at Bournemouth in the form of one of the 2025/26 season’s breakout stars – Rayan.
The Cherries signed the teenager from Vasco da Gama on a five-and-a-half year deal in the January transfer window and he notched an impressive five goals and two assists in 15 Premier League appearances.
A deal for him will not be easy either though. According to the Athletic, Rayan has a release clause in his contract that will kick in from the January transfer window onwards for £130million. However, it is not applicable this summer, meaning they may have to pay even more than that figure if they want to get a deal done.
Liverpool will look at midfield options
The Reds will be looking at midfielders in the summer transfer window, too. Curtis Jones looks set to leave the club, with Inter Milan interested in signing him, while Harvey Elliott does not appear to have a future at the club, following a disastrous loan spell with Aston Villa.
Alexis Mac Allister is another who could leave this summer, which would leave Liverpool light in the centre of the pitch.
Alex Scott is a player that has attracted plenty of interest from some of the biggest clubs in the Premier League and Liverpool could make a move for him if he does not sign a new contract at the Vitality Stadium.
Bournemouth are keen to tie the 22-year-old down to a new deal, but if talks stall there will be no end of suitors waiting around to negotiate a move.
Liverpool could look at the full-back area
The links with Atletico Madrid’s Marc Pubill point to Liverpool wanting to strengthen in the full-back department.
Andy Robertson is leaving on a free transfer, following the expiration of his contract, but Kostas Tsimikas will return from his loan at Roma to fight for the left-back spot with Milos Kerkez.
On the right, however, there is a gap for a signing, hence the move for Pubill. Alex Jimenez is another player signed by Iraola who impressed in his first season on the south coast.
He was, however, suspended by Bournemouth towards the end of the season pending an investigation into his social media activity, which could hamstring any potential move to Liverpool.
There are plenty of ways to watch the World Cup, but doing so with a sweepstake and a vested interest in the tournament may take it to the next level.
A sweepstake takes participants and throws them into a random draw to decide who will get a certain team to follow throughout the competition in hopes of winning.
There is often a prize pool of money available to participants (though it isn’t necessary to have fun), adding an extra layer of competitiveness to the World Cup, as fans cheer on the team they have been drawn in this game of chance.
Considering putting one together for your office or friends? GIVEMESPORT brings you a step-by-step guide on how to play a World Cup sweepstake.
How To Do A World Cup Sweepstake
2026 World Cup Nation Sack Manager 72 Days Before Tournament Begins
1. Set An Entry Fee Or Prize
The first step is to set up an entry fee or a prize for the participants. This will give people an idea of what is at stake and whether they want to join.
The prize can be money, an item, or simply bragging rights (which, for some people is the most important!) Pick whatever is comfortable. It’s also worth considering how to divide the prize pot, and whether there will be a prize on offer for second and third place, or simply the winner.
2. Determine Entrants
It’s then important to find who is going to take part in the World Cup sweepstake, as this will likely determine how the teams are drawn out.
With it being a 48-team tournament, as many as 48 people could join in to make sure everyone has an individual team selected to cheer on.
If there are fewer than 48 people, it may be worth looking at if there could be multiple teams that could be drawn per person to ensure that there are as many teams being cheered on as possible. I.e. 24 participants may have two teams drawn out randomly each, 12 participants may have three teams drawn out each etc.
3. Draw The Teams
The next task to consider is how to draw out the teams to ensure that it is done randomly, and with some trust from those involved in the process.
One option is to do it physically. Each team can be written down on a piece of paper and torn into individual pieces, put into a hat, and drawn out at random. There are also kits online that can be printed out and cut to skip the writing part.
As the draw is ongoing, it’s worth keeping track of what team, or teams, each person receives so it is easier to see who is still in contention, and who is knocked out of the competition.
This may be done in a physical notebook, an online chart, or on a spreadsheet to keep track of who takes on who in the following rounds.
5. Reward The Winner!
Once the tournament has come to a close, make sure that whatever prize was set out at the start is given to the winner, and the other participants, if there is more than just one person who lands a prize.
World Cup Sweepstake Apps
If it’s difficult to do a physical drawing of teams for a sweepstake, then using an app or online tool may be best to help pick sides for every participant.
Sweeper is a popular app used for such occasions, as it features several different sports and formats that can be drawn.
There are also several random name pickers that can be used, such as Wheel of Names, with one wheel spin being for the participant, and another for the team they will receive.
Useful Links for a World Cup Sweepstake
Below are some useful World Cup links to bookmark if you’re doing a sweepstake. Good luck!
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua have been teasing a contest between themselves for 10 years, and now, the two British heavyweight boxing titans have finally set a date with the match-up taking place later this year.
Joshua is set to fight a warm-up bout against the Albanian heavyweight boxer Kristian Prenga on the 25th of July. In his professional career, Prenga has taken 20 wins and lost once, suffering a point deduction and then losing on points to Dutchman Giovanni Auriemma in the Netherlands. All of his wins, meanwhile, have come by way of knockout.
He won by technical knockout against the American Joey Dawejko in the fifth round, for what is hailed as the biggest win of his careerto date. Joshua will go into the fight as the clear favourite, but Prenga won’t be willing to make it easy.
Joshua hasn’t stepped into a ring since he beat YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in the sixth round on the 19th of December 2025. Just 10 days after the fight, the Brit was involved in a car accident in Nigeria which resulted in the death of two of his friends, who were also members of his team; his strength and conditioning coach Sina Ghami and his personal trainer Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele. Thankfully, the 36-year-old’s injuries were non-life-threatening, and he was treated in the hospital, but he has taken some time to recuperate.
Fury, on the other hand, returned from retirement for a comeback fight against Arslanbek Makhmudov, outboxing the Russian with ease to win via unanimous decision. His 16-month sabbatical was self-imposed following two defeats to the current unified heavyweight champion, Oleksandr Usyk, with the Ukrainian defeating him on points both times, but The Gypsy King was unfazed by Makhmudov, whose boxing record stood at 21 wins in comparison to Fury’s 34.
While Joshua’s opponent for his warm-up fight has been announced, the same cannot be said for Fury, who is set to compete once more before the two battle it out.
Tyson Fury’s Warm-Up Fight For Anthony Joshua
Various opponents have been suggested, including the former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr and Jarrell Miller, who held regional heavyweight boxing titles in North America and has 28 wins with 22 by way of knockout.
Ruiz Jr, however, has been ruled out as an opponent by Fury’s manager Frank Warren, who claimed that the money he had asked for was ‘ridiculous.’
Fury wants a warm-up fight before sharing the ring with AJ, but he’s been urged to avoid one tricky heavyweight who has history with Joshua.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Joshua said: “Is he fighting Itauma? He [Fury] was saying to me when I was looking for an opponent, ‘fight [Fabio] Wardley, fight Itauma, these fights are easy to be made.’
“That would be a perfect name because they’re all under the same promotion. If Fury is what he says he is, then he should step forward and Frank [Warren] should put his fighter forward instead of worrying what I’m up to.”
Itauma has held the Commonwealth heavyweight title since 2025, beating Dillian Whyte by TKO in one minute and 59 seconds of the first round.
The 21-year-old has 14 wins to his name, but could be too sprightly for the 37-year-old Fury to handle. The Brit impressed against Whyte with a dominant display, using his youth, speed, and power to trounce his opponent and force him onto the ropes.
The Slovakian-born fighter then knocked out Jermaine Franklin in the fifth round of their tussle, Franklin’s first loss via knockout. Itauma had put his opponent down in the third round with another dominant display, showing his skill and stamina.
Itauma has shown that he is not to be trifled with, and The Gypsy King should be wary of the young boxer’s ferocious power if they are to meet in the ring, with many hailing him as a future world heavyweight champion.
A fight between the two is highly unlikely, though, with Fury’s team searching for a less dangerous opponent. This is a huge credit to Itauma, who is set to take on the 2016 Olympic bronze medallist Filip Hrgovic in the summer.
With Fury’s interim fight likely approaching, a challenger will need to be chosen, and fast, so that preparations can begin. But the question on everyone’s lips is who will be touching gloves with Fury in a few months’ time?
A World Cup nation has released a statement after one of their star players was denied entry into the United States, less than 10 days from the start of football’s showpiece event. A lot has been made during the buildup over the issues around Donald Trump’s strict entry rules, and that’s something Breel Embolo has witnessed first-hand.
The Swiss federation confirmed his ESTA travel authorisation was placed under review this week – linking back to a court ruling over a 2018 altercation, as per The Sun. Embolo, the former Basel and Monaco frontman, was convicted in 2023 of making multiple threats and handed a suspended fine.
The verdict was upheld on appeal after judges rejected his account of the incident. Swiss media reported in April that Embolo decided against taking it to the Federal Court, finalising the judgement. In a statement, the country has said: “Unfortunately, Breel Embolo is currently unable to travel to the United States with the team.
“His ESTA authorisation had been approved until this morning. However, at 10.30am, we were informed that his ESTA application had been placed under further review. We are currently in contact with the relevant authorities and expect that Breel will either join the team later today or travel tomorrow and join the squad then.”
A spokesperson told Reuters Embolo had been allowed to travel to the USA to play for Switzerland against the USMNT and Mexico last June. The Rossocrociati flew to Los Angeles and will be based in San Diego throughout the early knockings of the competition.
