Overview
- Manchester United toured Sweden and beat Atlético Madrid in a friendly while carrying a 23‑man squad that included 15‑year‑old JJ Gabriel and several academy players being integrated into the first team.
- Barcelona opened preseason with a 2-2 draw at Birmingham City, signed winger Jesse Bisiwu to 2031 terms, and saw 18‑year‑old Hamza Abdelkarim score twice on his first‑team debut.
- Transfer activity is active but mostly preliminary, with Liverpool holding early discussions with AC Milan over Fikayo Tomori and Mainz saying Kaishu Sano could be sold only for a 'huge' offer.
- Manchester United have made enquiries about San Lorenzo goalkeeper Orlando Gill, with the player's agent confirming talks with English and German clubs as negotiations continue.
- Managers are using friendlies mainly to raise fitness and assess depth — for example Enzo Maresca took charge of his first Manchester City match in Hong Kong with fitness the stated priority — meaning results are being treated as evaluation rather than form proof.