West Brom have now won the race to sign a Liverpool defender ahead of Premier League clubs.

It could be a busy summer transfer window for West Brom as they aim to improve on a disappointing 2025/26 season.

The Baggies managed to avoid being relegated to League One, but they certainly flirted with relegation for large parts of the campaign.

The appointment of James Morrison helped them turn things around after he helped secure Championship survival with a 10-game unbeaten streak.

West Brom confirmed that Morrison had signed a two-year deal as head coach, and that the summer is now an opportunity for the club to back him.

West Brom Win Liverpool Race

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, Liverpool defender Carter Pinnington is set to join West Brom in a permanent deal.

The Baggies have reportedly beaten Premier League and other Championship clubs in the race to secure his signature.

Pinnington has been involved in Liverpool’s first-team sessions at times, including during the 2025/2026 campaign.

The now 19-year-old signed his first professional contract with Liverpool back in 2024, but he is now set to be heading through the exit door.

The towering centre-back has played at youth level for England at under 15s, under 16s, and under 18s, while he is also eligible to represent South Africa.

West Brom Also Eyeing Chelsea Star

West Brom are clearly planning a summer raid on the Premier League, with reports suggesting they are also in advanced talks to sign Chelsea forward Jimmy-Jay Morgan.

The Baggies are set to secure Morgan’s signature on a permanent deal, with the Midlands club looking to bring in young talent from around England.

West Brom supporters will also be hoping that they can bring in some ready-made experienced players rather than just signings for the future.

Either way, it needs to be a busy summer transfer window for West Brom as they aim to avoid being dragged into a relegation battle again.

Each co-host has now played their opening match of the 2026 World Cup. Mexico kicked things off with a win over South Africa, before Canada battled to a draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The US have been the most impressive so far, however, thumping Paraguay 4-1 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

As excitement grows with every game, England will have to be patient and wait until 17 June before their tournament finally begins. They are faced with a tricky fixture as well, as they take on Croatia, the same nation that sent them home at the semi-final stage in Russia 2018.

Thomas Tuchel had a big enough task on his hands when naming the 26-man squad for the World Cup – notably leaving the likes of Harry Maguire, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer at home – but his job becomes more complicated now, as he must select his first starting XI for the summer tournament.

A report from BBC Sport appears to have already ‘leaked’ a few key decisions made by the German ahead of the Croatia match.

Tuchel Makes Big Call on Starting Bellingham vs Croatia

Lee Smith via Reuters

One of the big talking points for the Three Lions going into the tournament has revolved around the attack. While captain Harry Kane will obviously start, Tuchel has a big call to make in terms of the man who will play in the ten role behind the striker.

In five international games across 2025 and 2026, Aston Villa ace Morgan Rogers has been trusted in that position. When he starts, though, it means Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham has to controversially settle for a spot on the bench.

In the two World Cup warm-ups, Rogers was given the nod against New Zealand, before Bellingham was handed the start against Costa Rica. It appears as though Tuchel has now made a final call on who will start, with the BBC claiming that the team which started that latter match will be the team to start against Croatia.

Journalist Sami Mokbel wrote: “Well, there is certainly a sense within the camp that the team that started in Orlando, barring maybe one or two exceptions, will be the side that begins the tournament.

Tuchel Decides on His World Cup Centre-Back Pairing

Jim Rassol via Reuters

With BBC ‘sources’ indicating that the team that started in the 3-0 win over Costa Rica will be close to the team that Tuchel picks against Croatia on Wednesday, that also means Tuchel has already made a big call regarding his centre-back partnership to start the tournament.

John Stones lined up alongside Maguire for many years but Marc Guehi took the Manchester United man’s place at Euro 2024. However, it looks as though Ezri Konsa will now start at the 2026 World Cup.

Indeed, the Aston Villa man lined up alongside Stones against Costa Rica, which suggests Tuchel has decided this will be his defensive pairing for the opening match. This may surprise some, especially as Guehi spent the last six months playing at Manchester City with Stones. The BBC explain, however:

The report also mentions that a ‘fully fit Bukayo Saka would almost certainly’ start ahead of Noni Madueke, but that just depends on the player’s fitness. He only came off the bench against Costa Rica, and that could happen again against Croatia, although it’s felt that Saka could start even if he isn’t fit enough to finish the match.

There has already been a great deal of talk about off-field issues at the 2026 World Cup so far. Visa issues and overzealous border security have left a bad taste in the mouth for money.

Just when the football was starting to come into focus again – helped by the US’s fantastic 4-1 win over Paraguay – another worrying concern has emerged. Indeed, according to local police, the English national team have been hit by a robbery.

The Three Lions had gear moving from West Palm Beach in Florida to their Swope Soccer Village base in Kansas City, Missouri, when the audacious World Cup heist took place.

Credit: Reuters/Jim Rassol

As first reported by Daily Mail, Thomas Tuchel’s men were due to train in the Kansas City camp for the first time this afternoon (13 June), but staff are now ‘scrambling’ to figure out exactly what has been taken and what is available to them. Indeed, some very important equipment was taken from a van en route from Florida to Missouri.

Details have now emerged of what exactly was stolen, as it’s remarkably stated that only one football has been left for the players to train with. Among the missing cargo, it’s also claimed that football boots have also gone missing, with fears that Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham could be among those robbed.

It’s far from ideal preparation for the World Cup opener against Croata in just four days. England staff are said to have packed up all of their essential training gear to make the journey from the pre-camp in Florida to their official World Cup base. This included analysis equipment, as well as Tuchel’s whiteboards and massage tables.

Police Department Share Statement After England World Cup Heist

It is understood that an arrest has already been made, with the Daily Mail claiming that security staff suspect drivers they trusted to deliver the kit could be involved in the robbery. The FA are now liaising with local police as they try to recover the stolen goods.

The Kansas City, Missouri Police Department have released a statement, explaining:

It remains unclear just how complicated it will be for England to immediately replace all the items stolen before their opening Group L game on 17 June.

This isn’t the first drama relating to issues of crime near a Three Lions’ training camp, as nine were injured in a mass shooting just four miles from the training base and team hotel in Kansas City earlier in the month.