Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Dom Fifield and Jay Harris to reflect on the significance of Michael Olise's decision to stay at Crystal Palace, amid interest from serial spenders Chelsea... What is it about the 21-year-old winger that attracted interest from Chelsea (and even Manchester City) and is it important that so-called 'smaller' Premier League clubs, fight back against the tide of mega-rich teams - like Chelsea - stockpiling the best young prospects from elsewhere in the leag...
Aug 22, 2023•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Having scored three goals in his opening two La Liga games Jude Bellingham has enjoyed a meteoric start to his career with Real Madrid. The Athletic's Guillermo Rai and Dermot Corrigan join Ayo Akinwolere to analyse Bellingham's start to life in Madrid and role in Carlo Ancelotti's tactical overhaul. Produced by Guy Clarke Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead *** • Grab your EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to https://nordvpn.com/theathletic to get a Huge Discount off your NordVPN Plan + 4 months fo...
Aug 21, 2023•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast In a special bonus episode from The Athletic's team in Australia, Michelle Owen is joined by Michael Cox, Charlotte Harpur, Mark Carey and Laia Cervelló Herrero to reflect on how Spain became Women’s World Champions. Their 1-0 victory over the Lionesses sees La Roja go from entering the tournament with internal strife and acrimony, being humiliated 4-0 by Japan in the group stages; to winning the whole thing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 20, 2023•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Adam Leventhal returns to preview the second round of fixtures of this Premier League season, featuring mouth-watering clashes such as Man City vs Newcastle, Spurs vs Man Utd, and... Nottingham Forest vs Sheffield United? Nick Miller is on hand to make the case for the latter, while Arsenal writer Art de Roche and Spurs correspondent Tim Spiers make up the rest of this star-studded (their words) panel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 18, 2023•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Yesterday Adam Crafton broke the news on The Athletic that Manchester United’s chief executive, Richard Arnold, told the club’s executive leadership in early August that United were planning to reintegrate Mason Greenwood into the first team. This comes after Greenwood had sexual assault charges against him dropped in February - charges that he denied. Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic’s deputy editor Laura Williamson, reporter Adam Crafton and Manchester United writer Laurie Whitwell to ...
Aug 17, 2023•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Peter Rutzler and Carl Anka, French football writer Tom Williams and Brazilian football correspondent Renato Senise, to reflect on Neymar's move to Saudi Arabia... The panel assess his PSG legacy, after six years in the French capital and the world-record transfer fee, that represented a watershed moment for the sport. Plus, how he is viewed back in Brazil and if Neymar remains a truly generational talent or a case of talent unfulfilled? Produced by Ado...
Aug 16, 2023•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Football Correspondent David Ornstein and our Chelsea and Liverpool writers Simon Johnson & James Pearce to discuss how Mauricio Pochettino’s side won the race to sign Moises Caicedo for a whopping £115m. We also hear how Chelsea also swooped in for Romeo Lavia from under the noses of Liverpool and the story behind the transfer battle between the two clubs. And the panel answer the question on everyone's lips - how on earth can Chelsea keep spending lik...
Aug 15, 2023•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast One of the transfer window’s longest-running sagas is over now Harry Kane has swapped Tottenham Hotspur for Bayern Munich in a deal worth more than €100 million (£86.4m, $110m). Join Ayo Akinwolere, David Ornstein, Charlie Eccleshare and Seb Stafford-Bloor as they delve into the detail of the deal, explain how Bayern secured the England captain’s signature and assess where Tottenham go next. Produced by Guy Clarke Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead *** This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Giv...
Aug 14, 2023•44 min•Transcript available on Metacast Adam Leventhal previews the return of the Premier League with the help of a crack team of Athletic staff: Laura Williamson, Jay Harris & Nick Miller. Plus, David Ornstein and Rafa Honigstein on Kane.On the agenda, we discuss Harry Kane's decision to sign for Bayern Munich. Liverpool head to Stamford Bridge, and how optimistic are you - we reveal the results of our Hope-O-Meter survey... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 11, 2023•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast In 2019 Manchester United signed defender Harry Maguire for a world-record £80m for a defender, four years later he’s set to join West Ham in a £30m deal. Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Adam Crafton and Mark Critchley to assess where it went wrong for Maguire at Old Trafford, his importance to England ahead of Euro 2024 and why moving to West Ham could rejuvenate the 30-year-old. Produced by Guy Clarke Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphon...
Aug 10, 2023•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Raphael Honigstein and Walk On podcast host Tony Evans, to take a closer look at how and why Liverpool went from being the best side in the Premier League at signing players… to being not so great... Will the deal for Romeo Lavia get over the line and what's the hold up? And how have three different sporting directors in 18 months impacted Jurgen Klopp's position at the club. Produced by Adonis Pratsides Additional Production: Guy Clarke, Mike Stavrou &...
Aug 09, 2023•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ayo Akinwolere is joined by Peter Rutzler and Adam Crafton to discuss latest round of drama at Paris Saint Germain... Nine new faces in, including rising star Goncalo Ramos - Why didn’t one of the Premier League sides who need a striker make a move for him? Are PSG actually preparing for life after Mbappe and could Neymar still leave this summer as well? Plus, how to assess a decade of investment from QSI and manager Luis Enrique's new-look team on the eve of the new season? Produced by Adonis P...
Aug 08, 2023•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Two years on from re-joining Chelsea in a club-record move, Romelu Lukaku has no future at Stamford Bridge - but where will he be playing this season? Host Ayo Akinwolere is joined by Chelsea writer Simon Johnson and Italian football writer James Horncastle to assess what happens next for the Belgian. Inter Milan may have been priced out of a move, arch rivals Juventus linger with a possible swap move involving Dusan Vlahovic on the cards, meanwhile are Chelsea any closer to signing Moises Caice...
Aug 07, 2023•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Manchester City have agreed a €90m (£77.6m, $98.6m) deal to sign their top summer target Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig, ahead of looking to begin a fourth successive Premier League title charge. Host Ayo Akinwolere is joined by Manchester Football writer Mark Critchley and former City defender Nedum Onouha to discuss what it takes to play for Pep Guardiola, how much the move strengthens the champions and ponder who is capable of stopping their domestic domination. Produced by Guy Clarke Executi...
Aug 03, 2023•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast So Erik ten Hag has been able to strengthen his squad in three key positions this summer already but will the arrival of Mason Mount, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund help Manchester United close the gap to Man City? Host Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Adam Crafton and Carl Anka, to discuss what United have learnt from their recent mistakes in the transfer market, why they didn't pull out all the stops for Harry Kane, replacing David de Gea and the protracted sale of the football club....
Aug 02, 2023•44 min•Transcript available on Metacast Why do Arsenal want to sign Brentford’s David Raya and what does it mean for current number one (and fan-favourite) Aaron Ramsdale? Host Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Adam Crafton & Arsenal writer Art de Roché, to dig into David Ornstein's exclusive... Did something happen on tour in the US? Can a closer look at the Arsenal Women's team shed some light on Arteta's thinking and is there ever actually room for two top goalkeepers at a football club? Professional goalkeeper coach and f...
Aug 01, 2023•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jay Harris introduces The Athletic's new podcast series, Access All Areas: Brentford. It's a behind the scenes look at how to build a modern Premier League team. In this episode - episode 2 of the series - Jay talks to those responsible for Brentford's famed recruitment strategy to detail how they scout and how they convince players that west London is a place for them to thrive. To listen to the full series click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 24, 2023•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast What you're about to hear is a sample of our new three part narrative series; The Making of Messi. With arguably the greatest player of all time set to make his debut in MLS on Friday, we charted his extraordinary career on and off the pitch. In this episode, we explore the complexities and nuances of the deal that brought him to the US and what legacy he will leave behind. If you'd like to hear the rest, follow this link to listen wherever you get your podcasts: https://podfollow.com/godeeper I...
Jul 21, 2023•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to the Daily Football Briefing; all the football news you need to know to start your day. Today: Chelsea had a really bad Tuesday. Simon Johnson tells us why. Tottenham started life under Ange Postecoglou with a loss, so what's changed? Charlie Eccleshare has the details And Liverpool might need to find some new midfielders sharpish. Andy Jones has dived into the data to tell us who he'd choose. Host: Michael Bailey Producer: Abi Paterson Executive Producer: Iain Macintosh Click here to ...
Jul 19, 2023•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast David Ornstein and Adrian Clarke join host Adam Leventhal to reveal how Arsenal won the race to sign Declan Rice... How serious were Pep Guardiola and Manchester City about signing him, how Arteta helped to convince the West Ham captain and how Arsenal can afford to keep spending in transfer market. Plus, why Arsenal became determined to sign him, where he'll fit into the manager's midfield plans for next season and how West Ham will attempt to use their £100M+ windfall to replace him. Produced ...
Jul 15, 2023•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Amid a series of reported bids for unwanted Chelsea stars, host Adam Leventhal is joined by The Athletic's Matt Slater, to examine the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the new owners at Stamford Bridge... Does the rapidly subscribed to 'conspiracy theory' that Chelsea are attempting to 'cheat FFP' stand up to questioning, is there a genuine conflict of interest for Newcastle's owners or are calls from rival supporters and pundits for a blanket embargo on transfers, premature? Football corre...
Jun 23, 2023•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast As Manchester City sweep all before them to win a treble, where does City’s dominant season rank in comparison with those conjured by teams across football and other sports down the years? Mark Chapman is joined by The Athletic's Adam Crafton & Jack Pitt-Brooke to share the teams they think are the greatest in sporting history, the various caveats & bias we all hold plus debate the futility on agreeing on these debates in the first place! *** • This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give onlin...
Jun 12, 2023•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Istanbul plays host to the Champions League final tonight just months after the horrific earthquake that killed tens of thousands of people in Turkey. Our reporter Adam Leventhal went to the country to see how it is recovering from the worst natural disaster in its modern history. In part one of our two-part series, Adam visits Hatayspor; the club Christian Atsu played for before he tragically passed away in the quake. To check out part two, just search for The Athletic's audio documentary feed ...
Jun 10, 2023•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast As Manchester City head to Istanbul in search of a Treble, having already secured the Premier League and FA Cup, Inter Milan stand in their way of achieving football greatness. Pep Guardiola aims to lead City to their first European success and in doing so end his own 12-year wait for Champions League success. Dan Bardell is joined by George Elek, Tim Spiers and bet365's Steve Freeth to preview the action as well as discuss some of the week's other big issues, including Ange Postecoglou's appoin...
Jun 09, 2023•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Lionel Messi has opted to join Inter Miami in MLS over a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia or a romantic return to Barcelona. On this bonus episode of The Athletic Football Podcast, Adam Leventhal is joined by Felipe Cardenas in the US, Pol Ballus in Spain and Matt Slater in, err, Macclesfield to explain the intricacies of the move from every angle. How close was a return to Barcelona realistically? Why did Miami eventually win him over? Here’s all the big questions answered… Produced by Mike Stavr...
Jun 08, 2023•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast How Real Madrid won the race to sign Jude Bellingham and why he chose La Liga over the Premier League.. We also have all the detail of how much are they paying Dortmund, how Real funded the deal and why they will not be finished spending just yet. Mark Chapman is joined by The Athletic's David Ornstein - who broke the story - our German football writer Rafa Honigstein & Dermot Corrigan who is in Madrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 08, 2023•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week the Saudi Arabian domestic league announced a big revamp. In short it’s more teams, bigger talent, and a huge injection of cash. How will it work? Who could be joining Cristiano Ronaldo and now Karim Benzema out there? And what is the Kingdom's ultimate goal? To answer these questions Mark Chapman is joined by Adam Crafton, Jacob Whitehead and Wael Jabir Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 07, 2023•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast After 72 days of searching for Antonio Conte's successor, Tottenham Hotspur have named Ange Postecoglou as their new head coach. Following his successive spell north of the border with Celtic, can he replicate that in North London and turn around Tottenham's fortunes? Mark Chapman is joined by The Athletic's Charlie Eccleshare and CODE Sports' Adam Peacock to delve into the Australian's career to date and consider how suitable a fit he is for the hotseat at Spurs. Produced by Guy Clarke *** • Th...
Jun 06, 2023•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast Coming up, how far are Manchester United from Manchester City in terms of success on the football pitch? And with uncertainty around ownership and transfer funds, what can they realistically do to close the gap next season? Mark Chapman is joined by The Athletic's Laurie Whitwell & Mark Critchley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 05, 2023•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dan Bardell, George Elek, Tim Spiers and bet365's Steve Freeth are here to cast an eye over events at Wembley this weekend as Manchester City look to take a step closer to sealing the Treble. With Manchester United out to stop them matching Sir Alex Ferguson's feat of 1999 the panel look in depth to the match-up at Wembley with both The Athletic's Man City and Man Utd writers Sam Lee and Laurie Whitwell giving the perspective from both sides of Manchester. Plus there's a look at the managerial m...
Jun 02, 2023•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
