Prem transfer changes

GM football fans. Route One here, and we’re covering the changes to the transfer window, Inter Miami’s success and much more. Enjoy Route One? Share us with a friend on WhatsApp with this link.

PREMIER LEAGUE MW6 STATS

Man United 0 — 3 Tottenham. Man United have now lost more Premier League matches by 3+ goals since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club — 23 in 424 games — than they did in 1,035 league games under the Scot (22). And their seven points are their joint-fewest after six games in the competition. Chelsea 4 – 2 Brighton. Cole Palmer is the first player in Premier League history to score four goals before half-time in a single match. Brentford 1 – 1 West Ham. Bryan Mbeumo scored in 37 seconds, making Brentford the first team in Premier League history to score in the first minute in three consecutive games. Full Premier League Matchday 6 results here.

Plus…

• Premier League table after MW6; Liverpool top (More) / last game tonight

• Real Madrid draw 1 — 1 away at Atletico Madrid; game suspended for 15 minutes as Diego Simeone pleads with fans (Watch)

• Ex-Arsenal keeper Jens Lehmann fined €135,000 for damaging neighbour’s garage with chainsaw (More)

• Erling Haaland’s “knocks” to be assessed, says Pep (More)

• Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong shuts down rumours about huge salary (More)

• Gianluigi Buffon marries partner Ilaria D’Amigo (More) 

• Women’s Super League round-up (More)

PREM TRANSFER CHANGES

Premier League transfer window to close early next year, but fears about other leagues not joining like in 2018

Premier League clubs have agreed a plan to close the summer transfer window before the 2025-26 season starts. The 20 top flight clubs voted in favour of this change during Thursday’s shareholder meeting. The window will close on August 15. The decision aims to ensure team stability before the start of the season.

Premier League clubs are reportedly hopeful that other top leagues around Europe will join them. This would be important to avoid a situation whereby Premier League clubs could sell but not buy players. In 2018, the Premier League closed the transfer window early but voted to go back to how it was as the rest of Europe didn’t follow suit. And while other European leagues have now hinted they’ll also close their window early, it doesn’t guarantee the Saudi Pro League will too.

There’s potentially another transfer market change on the horizon. Former player Lassana Diarra is suing Fifa for its transfer rules. In 2013, Diarra signed for Russia’s Lokomotiv Moscow but his contract was terminated a year later. Lokomotiv then applied for compensation and the player counterclaimed for unpaid wages. Meanwhile, Fifa banned Diara and didn’t allow him to join another club. If the court rules in Diarra’s favour on 4 October, it could mean Fifa loses its authority over transfers. It is thought this is the Bosman Rule 2.0.

POLL

HEAD START

🌍 Welsh EFL sides could compete for European football. Wales’ English Football League (EFL) clubs are in talks about a change which see them enter a Welsh cup competition to qualify for European football. Cardiff City, Swansea City, Wrexham and Newport County are speaking with the FAW about entering the Welsh League Cup to represent Wales in the Europa Conference League. The vision has been presented to Uefa, the FA, the Premier League, and Cymru Premier clubs.

😬 Barca lose first league game. Hansi Flick’s side lost 4-2 to Osasuna, making it Barcelona’s first La Liga defeat this season. Ante Budimir scored twice as Osasuna continue their unbeaten run at home in the league. Defeat means Barca, who had won their opening seven league matches, missed the chance to equal their best-ever start to a campaign.

🏟️ Fifa announce Club World Cup stadiums. Fifa has confirmed the 12 stadiums that will stage the inaugural Club World Cup in the United States in the summer 2025. Lumen Field and the Rose Bowl are the only west-coast venues selected for next summer’s tournament. Training bases, sponsors and broadcasters, meanwhile, are yet to be announced for the Club World Cup.

INTER MIAMI STORM MLS

Messi takes Inter Miami another step closer to No. 1 seed, 15 goals in 16 league games

Lionel Messi moves Inter Miami another step closer to the No. 1 seed for the MLS Cup playoffs. By finishing as No. 1 seed, Inter Miami will have an easier path to the MLS Cup final – including a first-round bye, home advantage and more favourable fixtures against lowe-ranked teams. Round One of the playoffs will begin from October 26. More on how the MLS playoffs work here.

The Argentine scored in the 67th minute to push Inter Miami’s unbeaten streak to eight straight MLS matches with a 1 – 1 tie against Charlotte FC. It was Messi’s 15th goal in 16 league matches this season. Luis Suarez has one more goal than Messi in five more starts. But former Aston Villa and Crystal Palace striker Christian Bentenke leads the league in goals scored with 21 in 27 for 12th place D.C. United.

The Herons, co-owned by David Beckham, can break the league’s single-season points record. Inter Miami lead the Eastern Conference with 65 points, while the highest total achieved was by the New England Revolution in 2021 with 73 points. There are three games left to play. Inter Miami plays at Colombus on Wednesday, and a win would wrap up the No. 1 seed in the East. Key dates can be found here.

AROUND THE FOOTBALL WORLD

🇩🇪 Bundesliga: Vincent Kompany's Bayern Munich maintained their unbeaten start to the Bundesliga season after drawing 1 – 1 with champions Bayer Leverkusen at the Allianz Arena (Highlights)

🇦🇷 Argentina national team: Goalkeeper Emi Martinez has been hit with a two-match ban and a fine by Fifa for “offensive behaviour” (More)

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Cymru Premier: The Welsh top flight is set for a major format change from the 2026-27 season, expanding to a 16-team format (More)

🇮🇹 Serie A: For the first time in its history, Juventus have conceded 0 goals in its first six Serie A games (More)

LOWER LEAGUE LOUNGE

Championship

Sheffield Wednesday’s late winner ends West Brom’s unbeaten streak. Substitute Anthony Musaba’s 86-minute strike earned the Owls a 3-2 victory over league leaders West Brom. Watford deny Sunderland a chance to go top. After a 2-1 loss at Vicarage Road, Sunderland remain a point behind West Brom. Wayne Rooney gets his second Plymouth win. Ibrahim Cissoko scored twice as Plymouth Argyle beat Luton Town 3-1; Rooney’s side now sit 15th. Championship post-match stats pack here.

League One

Birmingham pip top spot. The Blues’ 3-2 win over Peterborough means they lead the table for the first time this season – with one less game than second-place Wrexham. Wrexham off top after Leyton Orient stalemate. A goalless draw at Gaughan Group Stadium means that Wrexham have drawn two and lost one this season.

League Two

Gillingham go top after “average” performance, per manager Mark Bonner. The Gills beat Barrow 2-0 at home to knock The Bluebirds off the top spot. Walsall claimed their third consecutive league win with 4-0 victory over Colchester. The Saddlers sit second in League Two, one point behind Gillingham after eight games played. Morecambe sit second from bottom on goal difference. The Shrimps held Notts County to a 1-1 draw at home.

ROUTER’S VOICE

On Friday, we asked you: Where are you reading Route One from today?

🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 🚊 On my morning commute... (7.8%)

🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ☀️ Somewhere exotic... (6.7%)

🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 ☕️ Alongside my morning coffee... (58.4%)

🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (write it!)... (27%)

Your punditry takes:

• ✍️ R.W: “Today’s Route One is a Thursday evening thumb scroll from the heated seat of my EV on Vancouver Island before heading home from work. Love from the home of Pacific FC.”

• ☀️S.D: “Reading from a ferry—on my way from Athens to Naxos, in the Hellenic Republic of Greece! Hoping to catch Olympiacos vs Braga next week while I’m here.”

• ☀️ N.T: “From my last day of my family holiday in Egypt. Leave tomorrow night and land at an unearthly time Sunday morning.”

• ✍️ G.R: “In my favourite wine bar in Dénia, Spain.”

Editor’s note: Many Routers said they were reading Route One with their morning coffee in bed ☕️ or just before they snooze off 🛌 .

Whether R1 kicks off or wraps up your day, we want it to feel like a last-minute winner — and not just any winner, but a Champions League one!

EXTRA TIME

Jose Mourinho puts his laptop in front of the TV camera after ref decision.

Juventus’ third kit becomes the most popular kit of the year. / w images

Cole Palmer didn’t watch Dennis Bergkamp.

Mickey van de Ven with one of the Prem’s all-time assists.

Episode 3 of Jude Bellingham’s documentary.

Lionel Messi shows off his signature finish.

Sparta Prague fan won 1 million for scoring at half-time.

Match of the Day’s Goal of the Month 40 years ago.

GAME FACE ON

Question: Dominic Solanke is only the third English player to score in three successive Premier League appearances against Man United. Can you name the other two?

Clue: 2002 & 2023.

Scroll below for the answer.

ON TODAY

Premier League

• Bournemouth vs Southampton (20:00)

La Liga

• Villareal vs Las Palmas (20:00)

Serie A

• Parma vs Cagliari (19:45)

*All times in UK. EST -5. PST -8. CET +1. CST +8. JST +9.

Answer

Jermain Defoe in November 2002.

Bukayo Saka in January 2023.