Archive September 1, 2025

Erik ten Hag, the ex-Manchester United manager, describes Bayer Leverkusen’s decision to fire him after just two league games as “a complete surprise.”

After serving for two and a half years in charge at United, the 55-year-old was only hired by the German club in the summer.

Ten Hag criticized the club’s management in a statement, calling his dismissal “unprecedented” and saying that “this was never a relationship based on mutual trust” for not giving him the “time” or “space” to “implement his vision.”

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was fired by Besiktas on Thursday, and Jose Mourinho left Fenerbahce on Friday, making him the third former United boss in a week.

The previous five-game sacking record was broken by the fastest sacking in Bundesliga history.

“It came as a complete surprise when Bayer Leverkusen chose to give me a leave of absence this morning. It’s unprecedented to end a relationship with a manager after just two league games, Ten Hag said.

“Many important players who were a part of the squad’s successes this summer have left.” Time and trust are required to create a new, cohesive team.

“I had full conviction and drive when I first started this job, but I regret regretfully that the management did not give me the time and trust I needed. This relationship, in my opinion, was never one of mutual trust.

Every season I’ve been able to see through as a coach has resulted in success throughout my career. Clubs who trusted me have received success and silverware.

From their first two league games, Leverkusen have only managed one point.

After leading 2-0 and 3-1 at home to Hoffenheim, they let slip a one-goal lead and lost 2-1 at home to Hoffenheim. On Saturday, they conceded two late goals against 10-man Werder Bremen to draw 3-3.

Ten Hag’s first game in charge was a 4-0 victory over SG Sonnenhof Grossaspach on August 15 with a German Cup win.

After Leverkusen won the German league and cup double in 2023-2019, he was appointed Real Madrid manager and signed a two-year contract with the Spanish national in May.

No one wanted to do this, according to Everkusen’s website, according to managing director Simon Rolfes.

However, recent weeks have demonstrated that using this set-up to create a new and prosperous team is not feasible.

Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro added that it was painful to end relationships at this early stage of the season.

After losing a number of key players in the summer, Ten Hag was given the task of bedding in more than a dozen brand-new players this year.

Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong both signed for the Reds for a fee that grew to £116 million, and Granit Xhaka and Florian Wirtz both signed for Sunderland for an additional £13 million.

Goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky joined Monaco, while defender Jonathan Tah signed for Bayern Munich on a free transfer, and winger Amine Adli signed for Bournemouth in a deal worth up to £25.1 million.

This summer, Malik Tillman from PSV Eindhoven, Jarell Quansah from Liverpool, and Eliesse Ben Seghir from Monaco all signed for a sum of 88.4 million euros plus add-ons, making them the three most expensive signings in Leverkusen’s history.

Rolfes continued, “This decision was not an easy one for us.”

We firmly believe in the character of our team, and we will make every effort to implement a new set-up as we move forward with our development.

Ten Hag’s replacement was not named by the club, who claimed that “the assistant coaching staff would take over the training work for the time being.”

Carro continued, “We remain determined to achieve our goals for the season, and to do that, we require the best possible conditions at all levels and across the entire first team,” he added.

It’s now necessary to fully implement and use these conditions once more.

Leverkusen, the champions of the Champions League last season, will face Manchester City on November 25 and Newcastle on December 10 as their opponents.

Randal Kolo Muani has been signed on a season-long loan deal with Tottenham Hotspur from Paris St.Germain.

The 26-year-old France international signs a personal agreement whereby he moves on the day after receiving a work permit and international clearance.

At Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Kolo Muani will sport the number 39 shirt.

Spurs, Manchester United, Chelsea, and West Ham all expressed interest in him after a number of months of being linked with Premier League clubs.

The former Nantes and Eintracht Frankfurt player scored eight goals in 16 Serie A games while loaning out to Juventus in the latter half of last season.

He won two Ligue 1 titles before joining PSG in September 2023.

The coach expects from me, I am aware of that. I’ll work tirelessly for the fans, the club, and the shirt. I’ll give everything to make this team successful.

Randal is a top player who has established himself over the past few years, playing for big clubs in the Champions League and having gained valuable experience for the French national team, according to Spurs manager Thomas Frank.

He is a good age, in his prime, has good qualities for both the Premier League and his career, and gives us a different choice in the final third of playing wide and through the middle.

“I’m looking forward to working with Randal, and we’re all excited about what he can add to the squad.”

Following Mohammed Kudus, Joao Palhinha, and Xavi Simons, Kolo Muani is Tottenham’s fourth senior signing of the summer.

As Spurs prepare for a Champions League return, center-forward Kolo Muani could join wingers Kudus and Simons in creating a new-style strikeforce.

Kolo Muani’s arrival comes amid concerns about Dominic Solanke’s ankle injury’s severity.

Frank expressed his hope Solanke would return after the international break following Spurs’ 1-0 home league defeat at home against Bournemouth on Saturday.

If Spurs signed another attacker, he also warned of a potential imbalance in the squad.

The inclusion of three strikers in the squad can also lead to issues, according to Frank.

It strikes a balance, they say. I’m happy with Solanke and Richarlison, but I’m not saying we’ll never choose another striker.

Kolo Muani is perhaps best known for his 120th-minute goal against Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final, which Emiliano Martinez brilliantly saved with his leg.

However, the fact that he was there makes it clear what kind of player he is and why Spurs loaned him.

Kolo Muani, who is 6 feet 1 inches tall, is good in the air, and has a knack for finding space in the area.

He has scored frequently in all of his games, scoring 10 goals in 22 for Juventus and 26 in 50 for Frankfurt. Although he only managed 11 goals in 54 games for PSG, the majority of those games were substitutes.

Kolo Muani’s central striker role, which started Tottenham’s defeat by Bournemouth, is silkier than Richarlison’s more physical style.

Piero Hincapie has an option to purchase from Bayer Leverkusen on a season-long loan.

Should they decide to sign the Ecuador international permanently next summer, the Gunners have agreed a fee of £45 million (52 million euros).

After joining Leverkusen in 2021, Hincapie made 166 appearances in all competitions and was a member of the team that won the German Cup and the Bundesliga between 2023 and 2024.

The 23-year-old, who will sport the number five, joins manager Mikel Arteta for the eighth time this summer, joining Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Cristhian Mosquera, and Eberechi Eze.

Arteta stated on the website of Arsenal that “Piero has a real physical presence with his versatility and tactical flexibility,” adding that “he gives us strong additional defensive options.”

He exhibits a strong combination of youth and maturity, according to the author. As we get going this season, he will strengthen and advance our squad.

Polish defender Jakub Kiwior has been given a season-long loan by the Gunners, with Hincapie acting directly in his place.

Ben Chilwell, a Chelsea defender, has left for a partner club in Strasbourg, but Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi’s futures are still uncertain.

Chilwell has agreed to a two-year contract extension with the French club, which also includes Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, with the exception of his Blues deal, which has two years left.

Chilwell is Chelsea’s sixth player to leave for Strasbourg this summer.

Mike Penders and Kendry Paez, both of whom are currently on loan at the BlueCo-owned Ligue 1, have made the move.

In the first few months of the summer, Mamadou Sarr made a permanent move to Stamford Bridge before making a loan move back to the French side following the Club World Cup.

In addition to the three loanees, Strasbourg has signed Chelsea academy players Mathis Amougou and Ishe Samuels-Smith for about $6.5 million.

Only a permanent deal was possible for Chilwell because of Fifa’s loan regulations, which prohibit a club from transferring more than three players to the same club in a single season.

As long as the price reflects fair market value, there is no law prohibiting Chelsea from selling players to Strasbourg.

Despite having multi-club ownership disputes with Girona and Nice, Manchester City and Manchester United were permitted to compete in European competitions last summer.

That came after they decided not to “permanently or on loan, either directly or indirectly from July 2024 to September 2025.”

Sterling, England’s top earner, has reportedly made £325, 000 per week, and he has since left unsold, along with France international defender Disasi.

Sterling, 30, signed for Arsenal last season but struggled to make an impact while Disasi, 27, signed for Aston Villa for the second half of the campaign on loan.

Both Chelsea and Paris St-Germain both trained in a different “bomb squad” after returning from pre-season and were chosen for the summer’s Fifa Club World Cup competition.

Fulham and Bayer Leverkusen are known to have interested Sterling, but neither team officially expressed their interest, with the forward choosing to relocate to London so that he could raise his family.

Disasi wanted to return to his home country of Monaco, but Chelsea was unable to secure any additional loans, using the last one to secure a loan amount of £14.3 million from Bayern Munich.