Kick Off: 26/27 UCL phase draw finished; Alvarez transfer saga continues

Welcome to All Football's Kick Off, we bring you all important news in the past 24 hours. Make sure you do not miss out.

Top Headlines

26/27 UCL league phase draw results: Arsenal vs Real, Barcelona vs PSG & City, Man Utd vs Bayern

The 2026/27 UCL league phase draw results have been confirmed. The Champions League fixture list with match dates and kick-off times will be communicated no later than Saturday 29 August.

OFFICIAL: Board of Atlético supports that Álvarez’s transfer to Barca will not be negotiated

Julián Álvarez’s transfer to FC Barcelona will not be negotiated as unanimous support from the Board of Directors for the club's strategy

Match Report

Chelsea 2-0 Luton Town: Welbeck scores on his debut as Blues ease into next round

Danny Welbeck scored on his Chelsea debut as Xabi Alonso's side eased into the third round of the EFL Cup with a 2-0 win over a stubborn Luton Town side on Thursday.

Barcelona 2-0 Athletic Club: Raphinha & Fermín score to secure back-to-back win

Goals from Raphinha and Fermin Lopez were enough to secure a 2-0 win over Athletic Club for Barcelona, who handed Rodri his debut off the bench at Camp Nou.

These Things Happen

DO: Liverpool has signed Barcola, total transfer fee 120 million pounds.

On August 27th, According to the report of David Ornstein, Liverpool has signed PSG striker Barcola, with a total transfer fee of 120 million pounds.

OFFICIAL: Omar Marmoush joins Tottenham from Manchester City in £60m deal

On August 27th, Tottenham Hotspur officially announced that Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush has joined the club on a season-long loan with an obligation to make the transfer permanent. According to reports by Fabrizio Romano, the total deal is worth £60 million.

Champions League draw in full as Arsenal, Liverpool, Man Utd, Man City and Villa learn opponents

Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Aston Villa are all in the Champions League this season and now know their opponents after Thursday's draw

Here we go! Romano: Jackson to join Aston Villa from Chelsea for £65M

According to transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano, Nicolas Jackson will join Aston Villa and the deal has been completed.

OFFICIAL: Reiss Nelson leaves Arsenal to become a free agent

Reiss Nelson leaves Arsenal to become a free agent.

Arsenal refuse to give up on Julian Alvarez as he skips Atletico Madrid training for second time

Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez has missed a second day of training due to ‘illness’ as Arsenal’s hopes of luring the forward to north London intensify.

Official: Liam Delap joins Nottingham Forest, contract until June 2031.

Nottingham Forest has officially announced that Liam Delap joins the club from Chelsea, signing a five-year deal. According to journalist Romano, the total cost of this transfer reaches £50m, with add-ons included.

OFFICIAL: Barcelona signs Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic

FC Barcelona has officially announced that they signed Croatian legendary goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic from Fenerbahçe. According to journalist Romano, Fenerbahçe received €2m plus €2m possible add-ons.

Here we go! Romano: Chelsea reach agreement with Aston Villa to sign Martinez

According to transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea has reached a verbal agreement with Aston Villa to sign Argentine goalkeeper E. Martinez.

Plettenberg: Ward-Prowse might return to Southampton, both clubs start negoitations

According to transfer journalist Florian Plettenberg's recent report, James Ward-Prows might return to his parent club Southampton. 

Nicolas Jackson transfer to Aston Villa: Why striker from Chelsea could yet prove to be underrated

During his time at Chelsea, Nicolas Jackson earned an unwanted reputation as an unusually unreliable finisher. He missed a lot of clear chances. But does that mean other top clubs are making a mistake in turning to the Senegalese striker? Not necessarily.

Inside Matteo Guendouzi's toxic spat with Mikel Arteta as he causes shocking brawl

Matteo Guendouzi's fiery side that resulted in his infamous spat with Mikel Arteta was on show again in shocking scenes during a match.

Allan Elias to Man City: from 'Mini Balotelli' tragedy to Palmeiras' underrated gem

Manchester City supporters might not know whether to be amused or afraid to hear that Allan Elias’ nickname as a kid was 'Mini Balotelli' – a reference to the bleached-blonde mohawk haircut that had in fact been inspired by childhood hero Neymar.

Ex-Arsenal villain speaks out after sparking wild brawl with karate kicks and tunnel punches

Football is an emotional game that's capable of sparking all sorts of riots, which became clear during one clash featuring one former Arsenal ace

Enzo Fernandez transfer news: Manchester City confident of signing Chelsea midfielder - Paper Talk

The top stories and transfer rumours from Friday's newspapers...

Barcelona's Rodri to face swift Man City reunion following Champions League draw

Rodri will be reunited with his former employers after Barcelona were drawn to face Manchester City in Thursday's league-phase draw for the Champions League.

What They Say

Luis Enrique defends decision to give PSG star Dembele extra rest

Luis Enrique has defended his decision to give Ousmane Dembele an extra break ahead of Paris Saint-Germain's trip to Lille on Friday.

Arteta: I won't discuss Alvarez; I never ask players to publicly declare their desire to join

In the second round of the Premier League, Arsenal will play away against Aston Villa. Before the match, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta attended a press conference to answer media questions. The following is the first half of the press conference.

De Bruyne: I don’t like playing against Manchester City; they will always be my team

As one of the first-pot teams in the Champions League league phase, Napoli were ultimately drawn into the same group as Manchester City, which also means De Bruyne will once again face former teammates with whom he once played side by side.

Alvarez considers public statement amid transfer saga

According to reporter Juan Jesus, Atletico Madrid forward Alvarez is considering making a public statement.

Man United CEO expects Bayern clash, targets every trophy

Following the Champions League group stage draw, Manchester United CEO Berrada spoke about the draw results in an interview.