Kane first Englishman to win Germany's player of the year award

Harry Kane has been the Bundesliga’s top scorer in each of his three seasons at Bayern Munich

Harry Kane has been voted Germany’s footballer of the year for 2026, becoming the first Englishman to win the award.

The Bayern Munich striker scored 61 goals in all competitions last season as his side completed a league and cup double and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Bundesliga players or German players playing abroad are eligible for the award, which is organised by Kicker magazine and voted for by 695 members of the German sports journalists association.

Kane received 272 votes, with Bayern team-mate Michael Olise – runner-up in 2025 behind Florian Wirtz – again second, this time with 203 votes.

“It’s almost impossible to find the right superlatives to describe Harry Kane - sometimes I’m at a loss for words,” Bayern sporting director Max Eberl said.

“He’s already been named England’s Footballer of the Year, and now he’s also won it in Germany.”

The England captain is among the favourites to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, which will be awarded in London in October. If he wins, he will become the second English player to receive the honour while representing a German club, joining Kevin Keegan who won in 1978 and ‘79 while playing for Hamburg.

Bayern boss Vincent Kompany was named coach of the year, while their women’s captain Giulia Gwinn won the award for best female player.

Kane and Kompany will be honoured on Friday at Bayern’s Bundesliga opener against VfB Stuttgart at the Allianz Arena.

Bayern began their season with silverware on Saturday as they beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the German Super Cup.

On Wednesday, Kane received the 2026 Golden Shoe award for being the top scorer across Europe’s top leagues last season.

Life after Salah - why Isak and Wirtz must step up for Liverpool

Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz both joined Liverpool in 2025

No player has scored more goals on the first matchday of a Premier League season than Mohamed Salah for Liverpool.

But when the Reds begin their 2026-27 campaign under Andoni Iraola at Newcastle on Sunday (kick-off 16:30 BST), Salah will be playing for Trabzonspor against Istanbul Basaksehir in the Turkish Super Lig, some 2,100 miles away.

It will be the first time since 2015 that Liverpool will start a season without any of Salah, Sadio Mane or Roberto Firmino in their squad.

Between 2015 and 2026, that trio scored a combined 488 goals (Salah 257, Mane 120, Firmino 111) for the Reds.

Salah netted 10 of those goals on the opening matchday - a Premier League record.

With the Egypt superstar out of the picture, the top scorer in Liverpool’s current squad is Cody Gakpo with just 50 Reds goals.

When Liverpool signed Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike for a combined £320m last summer, the future was very much in mind.

It is impossible for one player to replicate Salah’s achievements, with his goalscoring and creative burden needing to be shared.

Ekitike, 24, had an impressive start to life at Anfield before rupturing his Achilles tendon in April, and the hope is he will be fit for the second half of this season.

And both Isak, 26, and Wirtz, 23, will be expected to lead the way in this new Liverpool era after disappointing debut campaigns.

When it was confirmed in March Salah would leave this summer, Liverpool were expected to make another statement signing - but with the season about to begin they are yet to do so.

“We need a squad that is able to compete on all four fronts, that’s the only way to try to be successful,” captain Virgil van Dijk said this week.

“Let’s see what the last couple weeks of the transfer window brings and then let’s go for it.”

It has been more than five months since Salah’s exit was confirmed and Liverpool’s hunt to sign another top-class forward goes on.

They failed in their pursuit of 19-year-old rising star Yan Diomande, who went to Real Madrid from RB Leipzig for a fee worth up to £120m.

Ekitike’s injury absence means another attacker is even more of a priority - and there is growing confidence a deal will be struck for Paris St-Germain’s Bradley Barcola.

The 23-year-old France winger is understood to be open to the move. PSG initially sought a fee in the region of £145m while Liverpool want to pay something closer to the £100m mark.

Liverpool explored a move for Barcola - who primarily operates on the left - last summer but opted not to pursue it as they were keen not to block Rio Ngumoha’s pathway.

With Salah departing a year earlier than expected, the landscape has changed.

At St James’ Park last August, Ngumoha became the youngest goalscorer in Liverpool’s history with a memorable 100th-minute winner.

The English winger turns 18 next week and will be able to sign a five-year deal then. He has been trialled down the right flank, where Salah played, in pre-season.

Iraola wants his wingers to be able to play on both sides and - judging by the signing of Victor Munoz from Osasuna - Liverpool want pacy options that are direct and have the ability to break down low blocks.

They had a £60m bid rejected for Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh this week while a move has been explored for PSG’s Ibrahim Mbaye.

On Sunday, the likelihood is Gakpo - who has attracted interest from Spurs - will start down the left while Ngumoha will play on the right.

Munoz - who looked lively against Como last week - can provide a spark off the bench while Iraola is also open to using Gakpo as a number nine.

Wirtz will operate primarily behind the striker and believes he is better equipped for the demands of the Premier League now.

With a season under his belt, there is a genuine belief among those at Liverpool that there is much more to come from the German, who scored seven goals and provided 10 assists last season.

The spotlight will also fall on Isak, who scored 62 goals in 109 games for Newcastle but only netted four times in an injury-hit debut campaign at Anfield.

Encouragingly, the link-up between him and Wirtz seems to have developed in pre-season.

Iraola believes Isak, who cost a British record transfer fee of £125m, will be “very important” this season and is in “a very good place.”

“We know his level and if we can keep him there he will score the goals and give us a lot of things,” said Iraola.

“Probably my fight with him and my instructions are more in terms of without the ball and how he can help in his position when we are with the ball so he can open spaces for other players.”

Former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler also thinks Isak will be a “handful” for the opposition.

“I’m a massive fan. He’s proven it in the Premier League before. For a number of reasons, including the injury, it didn’t work out last year but he’s an exciting player and he will score goals and be a handful,” said Fowler.

“As a striker, the price tag wouldn’t bother me because the focus should be entirely on performing. Alexander is world class and the price tag won’t bother him either.”

“He has everything in the locker, is exciting when he drives with the ball and he makes things happen.”

“He excites the fans which is imperative for a club like Liverpool. Not only can he beat players - he can bring others into the game and he can score goals which is massive.”

Without Salah - and as the wait for Barcola continues - where better to step up to the plate for Isak than at the place he once called home.

Mourinho urges Vinicius Jr to control emotions

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho says Vinicius Jr needs “great emotional control” after claiming the winger is being bullied on the pitch.

The 63-year-old’s comments come after the Brazilian picked up an avoidable yellow card in a 2-1 La Liga opening win over Espanyol for an argument with midfielder Cala in the first half.

Vinicius Jr has been the target of regular abuse during his eight years at Real Madrid, including the night Mourinho was in the Benfica dugout when Gianluca Prestianni was accused of racially abusing the Brazilian - a claim the Argentine denied.

“I run the risk of you going back months and pulling out my words when I was an opponent of Vini Jr,” said Mourinho.

“Now Vini Jr is mine. Vini Jr is not a saint, but what they do to him is too much.”

Mourinho claims his star winger is being targeted by players to seek a reaction “from the first minute” and is “repeated” by all teams the Brazilian comes up against.

“It’s frustrating for him. He needs to have great emotional control,” he said.

After receiving the yellow card in Mourinho’s first competitive match of his second Real Madrid spell, the Portuguese told Vinicius Jr to consider how his actions on the pitch can ignite reactions in the stands.

“I spoke to him at half-time, and I even told him in detail: ‘If you score a goal, be careful how you celebrate it so I can keep you on the field.’ It’s tough,” he said.

“We’re in a social era of anti-bullying. With Vini Jr, we’re still in the bullying era, whether it’s from opponents or the crowd.

“We need to educate him as much as possible and prepare him as much as possible. And that’s it.”

What does Savinho's £75m move reveal about Man City's multi-club model?

For the City Football Group (CFG), the soon-to-be-completed sale of Savinho to Tottenham will mark a milestone moment.

The fee of £75m plus £10m in add-ons agreed represents a record sale for Manchester City, the most prominent club in CFG’s stable.

Savinho’s time with City’s ownership group has not been without scrutiny.

He was a record signing for CFG-owned French club Troyes from Atletico Mineiro in 2022. But left two years later having never played for the club.

At 18, he was sent on loan to Dutch side PSV for the 2022-23 season, and then to fellow CFG-owned Spanish club Girona for 23-24, where he built his reputation.

He featured in 37 league matches as Girona secured Champions League qualification for the first time, registering nine goals and eight assists.

City immediately bought him from Troyes for £30.8m in 2024, which raised questions at the time whether that fee was fair market value, after an impressive spell in Spain.

Savinho scored just twice and contributed 12 assists during his two seasons in the Premier League so, although it could be argued he was not a sporting success in Manchester, he has been a financial one.

The fee attached to Savinho - which has caught many by surprise - has represented a huge win for CFG, which has links to 12 clubs worldwide.

In an industry where player trading has become such a vital component of how modern day football is run, the enormous profit generated from the 22-year-old’s sale - at almost £70m if all the bonuses linked to his move to north London are met - is significant.

City would argue signing an 18-year-old from South America and selling that player for £75m four years later does also represent sporting success and Tottenham will be encouraged by his loan spell in La Liga which saw Savinho named in the La Liga team of the year.

“Our intention from the moment that we reached the Champions League was to try to get him to stay for another year,” Quique Carcel, director of football at Girona, told BBC Sport.

“But logically after making such a big impact, City, Pep and Txiki [Begiristain] were already considering having him in their first-team squad.

“But there was a moment when they were deciding between the two options, because they also knew that Savio having another year at Girona playing in the Champions League was also a very good option.

“But as soon as there was an interest from Pep and Txiki in him being a player that would be able to play in the [City] first team squad, then of course the player didn’t have any doubts.”

In his first season with City, during which he made 48 appearances under Pep Guardiola, Savinho made 16 goal contributions in all competitions and his eight Premier League assists during that campaign was the highest at the club.

“It’s a success story for the group,” CFG’s managing director of global football Brian Marwood told BBC Sport.

“The idea is always ‘can we get them to the pinnacle in our group’, which is Manchester City. There might be some along the way that might be good assets for the group.

“And Savinho has clearly been a fantastic asset - because not only has he played for Manchester City but now he is leaving for a considerable amount of money.

“We have created a pathway for the boy but credit to him because he is playing in one of the best leagues in the world.”

Nevertheless, there are those who will maintain Tottenham have overpaid for Savinho but what he does on the pitch will answer those questions.

Those at CFG will look on with interest at how Savinho fares away from their nest.

In January, BBC Sport highlighted how Manchester City, as a separate entity, has turned selling players nurtured in their academy into big business.

Morgan Rogers, Douglas Luiz, Cole Palmer, Liam Delap and Oscar Bobb are among the players developed by City to have been sold on and are now playing, or have played, for rival Premier League sides.

City have recouped more than £250m from selling young players over the past five years alone.

“To find a balance between recruiting players for sporting success and ones that could become more of an asset in the future is difficult,” explained Marwood.

“One of the hardest bits about signing young players is that you don’t know an awful lot about them but some will come in, adapt, work hard, have ambition and aspiration and go on and have fantastic careers.

“Oleksandr Zinchenko is a prime example. Taty Castellanos is another. So is Jack Harrison.”

Invariably, CFG is not always on point with its talent identification of young talent. Some will make it, some will not. That’s the nature of the player recruitment beast.

The success of Rogers and Palmer, with Aston Villa and Chelsea, has shown that City have sometimes have sold too soon.

Former Aston Villa forward Rogers was sold by Manchester City to Middlesborough in February 2024 for an initial fee of £8m. Last month Chelsea paid £117m for him.

Palmer - sold by City for £40m in 2023 - would demand a similar fee if he were to leave Stamford Bridge.

But as Savinho takes the next step in his career, City are turning their attentions to the future.

There are high hopes for Ryan McAidoo, an 18-year-old at City who has already made his senior debut for the club.

Japan’s Shin Miidera, a 16-year-old attacker playing for partner club Yokohama F. Marinos, is another CFG are monitoring very closely.

Then there is 16-year-old American midfielder Cavan Sullivan, who currently plays for MLS club Philadelphia Union, but will join Manchester City when he turns 18.

Vitor Reiss - who spent last season on loan to Girona from City - is tipped to make the grade.

“In an ideal world you would love for them to stay with you from the beginning right through to the very end - but the reality is it’s probably not going to happen,” added Marwood.

“The challenge is can we produce the next one? OK - Savinho’s gone - but where is the next one? That’s the fascination of this business, you have to look three and four years ahead.

“It’s important we grow this hub of young talent and hopefully find them pathways and produce a conveyor belt of talent and use our network of clubs to aid there development.”

The measure of their success will be judged on the pitch and on the books.

The ex-Blackburn winger facing Mourinho and Madrid

Dolan played 38 games for Espanyol last season across La Liga and the Copa del Rey

Tyrhys Dolan, who played for Blackburn Rovers for five years before joining Espanyol last summer, says he is ready to take on one of the biggest tests of his career when Real Madrid visit the RCDE Stadium on Saturday (20:30 BST).

The Manchester-born winger began his second season in Spain in impressive fashion, scoring in Espanyol’s 3-0 victory over Levante on the opening weekend.

Now he faces a very different challenge, with Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid arriving in Barcelona for their first match of the season.

Dolan, 24, insists Espanyol will not allow the occasion to change their approach.

“These are the games you want to be playing in,” he said. “They’re the games the supporters want to watch and all eyes will be on it.

“Jose Mourinho has legendary status as a manager. He’s got that mentality that he wants to win every single game.

“They’re not going to come out and treat it as an easy game against us. They’re going to bring their best.”

Dolan also knows he could share the pitch with fellow English players Jude Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold, but there will be little room for catching up before kick-off.

“When it’s business, it’s business,” he said.

“It’s nice to be playing against top talents and other English players. It’s great to see. We’ll catch up after the game but all focus will be on getting three points.”

But despite the glamour surrounding Real Madrid, Dolan believes the key is to avoid making the occasion bigger than it needs to be.

“You don’t want to try and build a game up too much because then, when you get there, all the emotions can kind of eat you up,” he said.

Instead, he plans to stick to the routine that has served him successfully since moving to Spain.

“You focus on yourself as best as you can and make sure that you’re prepared as well as you can,” he said. “I like to stay within the same routine and headspace.”

That approach reflects how much Dolan has changed since leaving the English Championship for Espanyol.

The winger admits his first season in Spain was as much a personal challenge as a footballing one. Moving away from family and friends, adapting to a new culture and learning a new language forced him to become more self-reliant.

“It’s definitely matured me so much, off the pitch and on it too,” he said.

On the field, Dolan believes the standard of La Liga has accelerated his development. He says his decision-making has improved significantly, while his crossing and ability to provide different types of assists have also progressed.

“I’ve learned and added so many tools to my trade since making the move to Espanyol,” he said.

Having made more than 30 appearances last season, Dolan now feels the weight of expectation has changed.

“I feel much more responsibility within the team this year,” he said. “I feel like I am one of the players who is going to get it done.”

“When you join, everything is new to you and you don’t really know how to handle it. You just kind of roll with it.

“But now I know exactly what I’m doing heading into this season. I’ve got my home here, I’ve got my solid fanbase, I’ve got team-mates that are now friends for me. It’s not just strangers that you’re playing with at the start.”

That confidence was evident against Levante, when Dolan’s goal helped Espanyol to an opening-weekend win.

The victory has given the squad belief for Real’s visit, but Dolan knows the level required will rise sharply.

“We can’t afford to make as many mistakes because Real Madrid will capitalise on it,” he said.

For Espanyol, however, the game represents more than simply an opportunity to face one of Europe’s biggest clubs - as they have their own ambitions.

“I think we can really be in those top-six positions,” Dolan said. “We want to aim as high as we can.”

And there is a personal edge to Saturday’s occasion with many of Dolan’s family and friends in the stands.

“I’m trying to keep the numbers to a respectable amount and not taking too many tickets off of the [other] players,” he said. “But all my family and friends are buzzing.

“We’re really looking forward to it and we’re ready for the challenge.”