Leeds have joined the race to sign Chelsea striker Liam Delap in the summer transfer window, according to GIVEMESPORT sources.

Delap made the move to Stamford Bridge last summer after Chelsea activated his release clause following Ipswich Town’s relegation from the Premier League.

The English striker struggled to make an impact since joining the club, and he is now attracting interest ahead of a potential move in the summer.

Chelsea have a number of options in the centre forward position, including Nicolas Jackson and Joao Pedro.

Leeds might be looking to bring in another centre forward option due to Joel Piroe making the move to West Ham this week.

According to GIVEMESPORT sources, Leeds have now entered the race to sign Chelsea striker Liam Delap in the summer transfer window, but they face competition for his signature.

Nottingham Forest and Everton are also believed to be keen on the powerful forward in the final weeks of the market.

Chelsea sources say that Delap has a £50 million asking price, but the interested clubs believe that a deal in the region of £40 million would be possible.

Delap made the move to Chelsea for a fee of £30 million. Despite enduring a difficult time last season, the Blues are looking to make a profit if they sell him this summer.

Leeds have enjoyed a strong transfer window so far, and they’re clearly looking to add to their striker department before the market closes.

Leeds enjoying strong transfer window

via Reuters

So far in this summer transfer window, Leeds have secured the signings of James Trafford, Tarik Muharemovic, Nico Elvedi, and Harry Wilson.

The Yorkshire club have significantly improved their centre-back options while bringing in one of the most highly rated young goalkeepers in the world.

Further forward, Harry Wilson, who enjoyed a strong 25-26 season with Fulham, has signed on a free transfer.

Leeds’ business doesn’t appear to be over just yet, though, with signing a centre-forward clearly one of their priorities in the final weeks.

Delap would certainly provide some strong competition for Dominic Calvert-Lewin up front, and they are similar profiles in terms of being powerful strikers.

Manchester City have several midfield options and are expected to sign two between now and the end of the window, GMS understands.

Man City have lost Rodri and Bernardo Silva to Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively already this summer, while Tiijjani Reijnders has joined Saudi side Al-Qadsiah.

The Dutchman might not be the last midfield exit of the summer transfer window however, with Newcastle United in club-to-club talks with the eight-time Premier League champions over a deal to sign Nico Gonzalez.

Should the Spaniard join the aforementioned trio in leaving the Etihad, it would leave Enzo Maresca with Elliot Anderson, Mateo Kovacic, Nico O’Reilly and Matheus Nunes as his only specialist central midfield players, although the latter duo have often played as full-backs.

City are advancing in talks to sign Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, with the 18-year-old excelling as a first-team regular with the Ligue 1 outfit, before shining for Morocco at the 2026 World Cup.

The teenager may well be the first new midfielder through the door at the Etihad, but Maresca wants at least one more to boost his squad ahead of the September 1 deadline.

Man City Looking at Five Midfielders

REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli

According to GMS sources, Man City are prepared to make a bid for Enzo Fernandez despite the 5pm deadline Chelsea set for a deal last Friday expiring.

The Blues were demanding £120m for the Argentina international at that point, and it remains to be seen what City would need to offer now to convince their Premier League rivals to sell at this late stage of the transfer window.

It’s no secret that Maresca is a big fan of Fernandez, having already worked alongside him at Stamford Bridge previously. Speaking in 2025, the Italian boss said:

The 25-year-old isn’t the only English top flight midfielder City are looking at in the final days of the window, with Fernandez’s Argentine international teammate Alexis Mac Allister at Liverpool also appreciated.

Meanwhile, they have also made an enquiry for Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton, as revealed on last week’s episode of GIVEMESPORT’s Market Madness podcast.

City also made an approach for another English midfielder last month in Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, although the Cherries have so far successfully kept hold of the Three Lions international, having already turned down a £64m bid from Chelsea earlier this summer.

As they prepare to embark on their first-ever European campaign under new manager Marco Rose, the south coast outfit insist the 22-year-old is not for sale.

One newer name on City’s list is Manu Kone of AS Roma, with the France international also linked with moves to Manchester United and Arsenal this summer.

Man City’s five-man midfield shortlist:

• Enzo Fernandez
• Alexis Mac Allister
• Adam Wharton
• Alex Scott
• Manu Kone

Every August, FC Barcelona open their season not with a competitive fixture but with a tradition stretching back six decades: the Joan Gamper Trophy.

Part friendly, part trophy, part squad presentation, it has become one of the most recognisable curtain-raisers in world football. Whilst nearly all clubs engage in typical friendly matches, this is an occasion that goes beyond that.

Here’s the full story behind the fixture, plus a complete rundown of its winners.

What is the Joan Gamper Trophy?

The Joan Gamper Trophy (Trofeu Joan Gamper in Catalan) is an annual pre-season exhibition match hosted by Barcelona, traditionally staged at the Camp Nou in August, immediately before the club’s La Liga campaign begins.

It doubles as the official presentation of the new-look squad to supporters, making it as much a ceremonial occasion as a football match. The competition is named after Joan Gamper, the Swiss-born founding father of Barcelona.

Gamper established the club in 1899 and later served as its president across several spells, helping to shape the institution in its formative years. The trophy honouring him was inaugurated in 1966 by then-president Enric Llaudet, one of Gamper’s successors.

In its original format, the tournament featured four invited teams contesting two semi-finals, a third-place play-off and a final. Since 1997, however, it has been streamlined into a single one-off match against one invited opponent, a change prompted by increasingly congested fixture calendars and shorter close seasons.

If the game is level after 90 minutes, no extra time is played — the winner is settled directly by a penalty shootout. The trophy itself is a distinctive prize: an 800-gram silver cup finished with a fine layer of gold, mounted on a heavy marble plinth.

List of Joan Gamper Trophy Winners

REUTERS/Bruna Casas

Barcelona have utterly dominated their own tournament. Perhaps unsurprisingly so, given home advantage and the quality of their average squad on show. The Blaugrana have lifted the trophy on the overwhelming majority of occasions, and only a handful of visiting sides have ever spoiled the party.

The very first edition in 1966 saw Barcelona beat West Germany’s 1. FC Köln 3–1 in the final. Köln would go on to become the only non-Barcelona side to win the competition more than once, triumphing in 1978 and 1981.

Brazil’s Internacional hold the distinction of being the only team from outside Europe to win it, in 1982. Over the years, the guest list has read like a roll call of European and world football: Bayern Munich, Boca Juniors, Juventus, Manchester City and Porto have all featured, with several claiming one-off victories.

Spanish rivals have occasionally gatecrashed too, with Tenerife (1993) and Valencia (1994) both beating the hosts on their own turf.

The modern single-match era has produced its share of memorable nights. After moving into the single-match era, Barça have dominated, losing just four times, with one of those defeats coming on penalties to Juventus in 2005.

Barcelona thrashed Santos 8–0 in 2013 with Neymar and Lionel Messi in tandem, while Messi himself became the tournament’s most decorated individual, winning the MVP award four times and scoring in six consecutive editions. More recently, the fixture delivered a shock in 2024 when Monaco won 3–0, ending an 11-year unbeaten run for the hosts, before Barcelona bounced back to hammer Como 5–0 in 2025.

For 2026, the 61st edition breaks new ground: Egyptian giants Al Ahly will become the first African club ever invited, with the match scheduled for August 19 at the newly reopened Spotify Camp Nou — the trophy’s return to Barca’s spiritual home after stints at smaller venues during stadium renovations.

Single-Match Era (1997–present) — one game, penalties if drawn

Whoever the guest, the Gamper remains Barcelona’s defining pre-season occasion — a night of silverware, celebration and a first glimpse of the season ahead.