With the 2025-26 season still weeks away, Premier League clubs are already scrambling to strengthen their squads-- fuelled by the looming Club World Cup. Here are five names dominating the early headlines.
Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz is set to return "earlier than expected" from an ankle injury, coach Xabi Alonso told reporters on Friday.
Bayer Leverkusen on Monday confirmed midfielder Florian Wirtz will miss "several weeks" with an ankle injury, starting with Tuesday's Champions League last 16 second leg match with Bayern Munich.
All 51 matches will be played across 10 stadiums, marking Germany's organisation of another international football event after the 2006 World Cup.
Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz has been voted Player of the Season in the Bundesliga, the German League said on Monday, after the midfielder helped his club in winning their first league title.
Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen extended their season-long unbeaten run to 48 games with a 5-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.
After years of heartbreak and being dubbed "Neverkusen" for their string of runners-up finishes, Bayer Leverkusen finally broke through to claim their first-ever Bundesliga title. Their 5-0 victory over Werder Bremen last week secured the trophy, marking a watershed moment in the club's 119-year history. Although they have enjoyed intermittent cup success, this league title signifies a shift in their fortunes.
Bayer Leverkusen's record-breaking run to their first Bundesliga title was no fluke, with a 16-month plan coming to fruition.
Austria's Christoph Baumgartner scored one of the fastest ever international goals inside seven seconds on Saturday and was then quickly followed by a similarly lightning strike by Germany's Florian Wirtz.
Nathan Tella and Florian Wirtz scored as Bayer Leverkusen beat 10-man Wolfsburg 2-0 on Sunday to edge their team closer to a maiden Bundesliga title.
