Birmingham sign midfielder Bird from Bristol City

Birmingham City have signed midfielder Max Bird from Bristol City for an undisclosed fee.

The 25-year-old arrives at St Andrew’s on a three-year deal, becoming Blues’ sixth signing of the summer.

Bird, who had a year left to run on his deal at Ashton Gate, made 68 appearances for the Robins and scored three goals during his two years with the club after joining from Derby County where he played 200 games.

“He [Bird] brings a significant amount of Championship experience and has been part of teams that have enjoyed success,” said Blues boss Chris Davies.

“He’s also captained Derby on several occasions, so he brings leadership qualities and a good understanding of what is required to compete consistently in this league.

“He gives us versatility in an important area and has a really good profile for what we need. We’re delighted to have him on board and we’re looking forward to working with him.”

Luton re-sign winger Lawrence on loan from Man City

Luton Town have re-signed winger Emilio Lawrence on a season-long loan from Manchester City.

The 20-year-old spent the end of the 2025-26 season on loan at Kenilworth Road, making 21 appearances and scoring twice - including in the Hatters’ EFL Trophy victory at Wembley.

Lawrence - who is yet to play for City’s first team - began his career in Everton’s academy before joining City in 2022 and has won age-group caps for Scotland up to Under-21 level.

“From the last day of the season, I was clear with Emilio that my intention was to bring him back,” said Luton boss Jack Wilshere.

“He did well with us, so of course he then has more interest in him than he would have had last January, but I’m so happy that he sees us as a club where he needs to be to continue his development.”

Lawrence told the Hatters website: “I believe he [Wilshere] can really develop me as a player. I think it’s very important to have a manager that believes in you the way he does me, and that just fills me with a lot of confidence to go out on the pitch and do what I do, and just to work hard for him.”

Can Sunderland defy the Premier League doubters again?

Sunderland finished seventh in their first season back in the Premier League.

Sunderland were one of the stories of the 2025-26 Premier League season.

Promoted from the Championship through the play-offs in May 2025, the Black Cats marked their return to the top flight after an eight-year absence with a remarkable campaign.

Tipped for relegation by many, Sunderland ended the campaign in seventh to qualify for Europe for the first time since 1973.

So why - outside newly promoted teams Hull City, Coventry and Ipswich - are Sunderland once again among the bookmakers’ favourites for the drop?

There are three main reasons their doubters can point to: their poor underlying numbers last season, the ‘second-season syndrome’ for promoted sides and a European campaign to contend with.

But are those reasons justified?

While results and where you finish in the table are ultimately all that matter, Sunderland’s underlying statistics from last season suggest repeating their success might not be so simple.

Expected goals (xG) tells us how well teams do the basics of creating lots of good chances and limiting their opponents to few low-quality ones, based on how hundreds of teams before them have scored or conceded from those opportunities.

Only relegated Burnley and Wolves had a lower xG difference than Regis le Bris’ side last season, while West Ham - with the fourth-worst overall xG - were also relegated.

While Aston Villa and Sunderland made a mockery of xG by finishing much higher in the table, the majority of sides finished mostly in line with their underlying numbers, showing those two overachievers were more the exception that proves the rule.

Indeed, the three sides with the best xG difference finished in the top three in the same order, while - excluding Sunderland - the five sides with the worst made up the bottom five.

Only Man City and Aston Villa overperformed their xG numbers by more than the Black Cats, who scored three more goals and conceded six fewer than expected given the number and quality of shots taken.

So taking the season as a whole, it seems that Sunderland’s performances weren’t as impressive as their results. But one event significantly affected part of the Black Cats’ season: the Africa Cup of Nations.

They were without six players - twice as many as any other side - during the tournament in December and January. While the club’s performances had already declined after a strong start, they suffered even more when their squad was stretched.

But once all those players returned, Sunderland’s underlying numbers improved throughout the rest of the season and they ended the campaign playing like a mid-table side.

With no Afcon this season, the Black Cats may not suffer such a drop in performance. If they continue the 2026-27 season as they finished the last then relegation should be only a remote possibility.

The belief that promoted sides that stayed up in their first season are often relegated in their second is a popular one, with the phrase ‘second-season syndrome’ regularly thrown about. But is it as common as people think?

Last season Sunderland and Leeds became the 53rd and 54th promoted sides to survive in the Premier League.

Of the previous 52, only 11 were relegated the following season (21%). The vast majority of promoted teams that stay up do not suffer from second-season syndrome.

However, there is precedent for a promoted side that had a first season as good as Sunderland’s to be relegated in their second. In fact, the best promoted side in the 38-game era of the Premier League did just that.

George Burley’s Ipswich ended the 2000-01 campaign fifth with 66 points - the highest finish and most points any promoted side has achieved in a 38-game season.

But with European football to contend with, they dropped 13 places and took 30 fewer points the next season as they were relegated in 18th place, with Sunderland the beneficiaries as they finished just one place above them.

Overall, four of the previous 20 promoted sides (20%) that finished in the top half in their first season suffered relegation in their second, with the most recent example being Sheffield United five years ago.

The Black Cats were one of the sides that did not as they finished seventh under Peter Reid in 1999-2000 and followed up with another seventh-placed finish a year later (although that position did not bring European football back then).

Sunderland will be playing in Europe this season for the first time in 53 years, with at least eight games in the Europa League on top of their usual domestic commitments.

They are the 10th promoted side in Premier League history to qualify for Europe and just the fifth to do so through their league position, with the others qualifying via cup competitions or fair play.

Despite their squads arguably being the least-prepared to handle the extra fixtures, five of the previous nine teams achieved another top-half finish and just two were relegated - Ipswich in the early 2000s and Hull in the mid-2010s.

Hull were an unusual case as they only finished 16th with 37 points in 2013-14 but qualified for Europe by reaching the FA Cup final.

Their European campaign lasted just four games as they were knocked out in the Europa League qualifying rounds in August and were relegated with 35 points the following May.

But then there is that Ipswich side again.

When Inter Milan knocked them out in the Uefa Cup third round on 6 December 2001, Burley’s side had won just one of their first 15 games in the Premier League.

While they did find some form after that - they were 12th with 30 points after 25 games - just one win in their final 13 matches led to relegation.

Sunderland will be hoping to follow the example of the most recent promoted side to qualify for Europe - Wolves in 2019.

Despite playing 17 games as they reached the Europa League quarter-finals in 2019-20, they still had enough in the tank to finish seventh in the league again.

There are definitely the ingredients for Sunderland to have a difficult second season, but given how well-run they have been in their recent rise from League One to Europe, many fans will have faith they will continue to thrive.

Unal completes move from Bournemouth to Getafe

Enes Unal has left Bournemouth to rejoin Spanish club Getafe.

The Turkey striker, 29, leaves on a free transfer, although Bournemouth could receive up to £1.3m in bonuses as well as 20% of any future sale.

Unal endured an injury-hit time in England, making 58 appearances and scored five goals for the Cherries, who were also keen to reduce their wage bill.

He arrived on loan from Getafe in January 2024 before making the move permanent for about £13m later that year.

“A popular figure within the squad, Unal leaves having made a positive contribution both on and off the pitch during his time with the Cherries,” said a Bournemouth statement.

“AFC Bournemouth would like to thank Enes for his efforts during his time with the club and wish him every success for the future.”

Bournemouth, who are close to completing their summer transfer business, are now working on a move that would allow full-back Max Aarons to leave the club.

When do the major European leagues start and what are the big stories?

Lamine Yamal and Jude Bellingham will renew acquaintances when Barcelona and Real Madrid meet at the Nou Camp at the end of October in the first Clasico of the season.

The start of the Premier League may still be a week off, but in Europe the new season is already getting under way.

With La Liga kicking off this weekend and Ligue 1, Serie A and the Bundesliga soon to follow, there are plenty of storylines to look forward to this season.

BBC Sport rounds up the best and looks ahead to what should be an enthralling campaign on the continent.

Jose Mourinho won the La Liga title, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup during his previous time in charge of Real Madrid.

First La Liga match: Alaves v Getafe, Saturday 15 August, 18:30 (BST)

Jose Mourinho returning to Real Madrid 13 years after his first spell as manager ended was a reunion nobody saw coming.

Many expected Real to dominate La Liga and the Champions League when they signed Kylian Mbappe in 2024, and while he has impressed, the team as a whole has not gelled.

Last season Real looked like two teams on the same pitch - a group of four superstar attackers, and a fragile defensive unit left vulnerable to counter-attacks.

New signings Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konate, Denzel Dumfries and Bernardo Silva should help shore things up, while Yan Diomande could provide even more excitement in the final third.

Vinicius Junior has also recently agreed a new deal after being linked with Arsenal.

Some suggest a veteran Mourinho has had his day - can he manage the egos of Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius after his previous time in charge at the Bernabeu ended following dressing room disquiet, and does the Special One still possess the tactical acumen to seriously challenge Barcelona?

Hansi Flick’s side were not as formidable last season as in 2024-25, but a squad full of Spanish World Cup winners are still favourites to win a third consecutive league title.

Replacing the goals of Robert Lewandowski will not be easy, but reinforcements have arrived in the shape of Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi.

As usual, Atletico Madrid will look to muscle their way into the top two, with Villarreal and Real Betis heading up the best of the rest.

After fighting their way up from the third tier, Malaga will look to avoid the drop with a budget but tightknit squad - they have been under judicial administration since 2020.

There will be tears in Valencia as Los Che play their final campaign at the iconic Mestalla stadium, but who knows if Uefa Conference League runners-up Rayo Vallecano will be able to play any home games at all.

The regional government of Madrid has stripped the club of its license to host matches at its rented Vallecas stadium due to the dilapidated state of the facilities.

Last season, Christian Chivu’s Inter Milan finished 17 points above AC Milan, who are now managed by Ruben Amorim.

First Serie A matches: Udinese v Como & Inter Milan v Monza, Saturday 22 August, 17:30 (BST)

Inter Milan are fancied to defend their Serie A crown, albeit partly because few teams look equipped to challenge them.

Napoli, AC Milan, Atalanta and Lazio all have new managers, while Juventus and Milan are both under pressure after missing out on the top four last term.

While the absence of Champions League football could aid their title bids, playing Thursday nights in the Europa League could hinder them.

How Ruben Amorim gets on at San Siro will be particularly interesting for Manchester United fans.

Napoli, whose two most recent title defences have fallen disappointingly flat, will hope Max Allegri can rediscover his knack for winning.

Como were the big story of last season, but can Cesc Fabregas’ side replicate their league success while navigating a debut Champions League campaign?

They face a race against time to complete improvements at their idyllic lakeside stadium if they are to host European games.

Given the recent struggles of the Italian national team, Fabregas has pledged to try and bring through more young Italian players. Will others follow suit?

Roma did well to finish third last season after a rocky start, and have backed manager Gian Piero Gasperini in the transfer market. Can they kick on and win a first Scudetto since 2001?

Harry Kane (36) and Michael Olise (15) contributed 51 Bundesliga goals for Bayern last season.

First Bundesliga match: Bayern Munich v VfB Stuttgart, Friday 28 August, 19:30 (BST)

The age-old question is as relevant as ever after Vincent Kompany’s side cruised to a domestic double last season while playing some truly scintillating football.

Harry Kane is 33 now but is showing no signs of slowing down - the England captain has scored 98 goals in 94 Bundesliga games and has broken countless records.

While questions may be asked of 40-year-old goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and his unconvincing backline, Bayern’s devastating firepower of Kane, Michael Olise and Luis Diaz, plus the addition of Morocco international Ismael Saibari, means they should easily outscore their opponents.

Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen are all capable of launching title challenges, but tend to come unstuck against stubborn mid-table sides.

Elsewhere, fallen giants Schalke 04 are looking to re-establish themselves as a top flight side after three years away. Their promotion heralds the return of one of the fiercest derbies in world football - the Revier derby against Dortmund.

Elversberg were playing in the regionalised fourth tier as recently as 2021-22, but secured promotion to the Bundesliga for the first time in their history to complete a fairytale rise.

With a population of about 13,000, Spiesen-Elversberg will be the smallest town to be represented in the Bundesliga. The odds are stacked against them.

PSG have won the past five Ligue 1 titles with an average goal difference of +76.

First Ligue 1 match: Marseille v Strasbourg, Friday 21 August, 19:45 (BST)

It is hard to see anything other than Paris St-Germain winning Ligue 1 for the 13th time in 15 seasons, especially off the back of back-to-back Champions League triumphs.

That said, Luis Enrique’s side can be got at - last season they lost six league games, two more than in the previous two campaigns combined.

PSG have added attacking midfielder Maghnes Akliouche from Monaco and Aston Villa left-back Lucas Digne to their star-studded squad this summer, but could end up selling wingers Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye amid interest from Liverpool.

Monaco (2016-17) and Lille (2020-21) are the two most recent sides to topple the Parisians, but neither looks equipped to do so again.

Financial difficulties have limited traditional heavyweights Marseille in the transfer market, with more key players set to follow Mason Greenwood out of the club.

Will Still (Auxerre) and Liam Rosenior (Paris FC) are back in the league after ill-fated managerial spells in England, while former Brazil full-back Felipe Luis has been installed as Monaco boss.

Lens were PSG’s closest challengers last season, but may need time to bed-in new manager Dino Toppmoller. Lille, who finished third, face a similar situation with Davide Ancelotti.

Strasbourg have been a team on the up in recent years, but after losing manager Rosenior and then Gary O’Neil to the Premier League, face another restart under the relatively inexperienced Hugo Oliveira.

After losing the spine of the team that reached the Uefa Conference League semi-finals last season, the Alsace side have suffered some heavy defeats in pre-season.

Plenty of big names have joined Turkish clubs in recent years, but Mohamed Salah signing for Trabzonspor came as a surprise.

After leaving Liverpool at the end of his contract, Salah decided to join the 2021-22 Super Lig champions rather than one of Turkey’s big three - Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and Besiktas. He’ll be remembered as a hero if he can deliver a title at the first time of asking.

In the Netherlands, PSV Eindhoven are looking to win a fourth successive Eredivisie title.

Ajax and Feyenoord are looking to bounce back from disappointing campaigns having since appointed new managers - Spaniard Michel at Ajax and former Netherlands captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst in Rotterdam.

Porto are looking to successfully defend a Primeira Liga title for the first time since 2013, but will surely be challenged by Clasico rivals Benfica, now under the management of Marco Silva.

Sporting CP are looking to reclaim the title after winning it in 2023-24 and 2024-25.

The Eredivisie and Primeira Liga are already under way, while the Turkish Super Lig begins on Friday, 14 August with Galatasaray v Corum (19:30 BST).