Cameroon’s Carlos Baleba has joined Manchester United from Brighton and Hove Albion, the Premier League giants announced on Tuesday. The 22-year-old is the third midfielder signed by the Red Devils during the summer transfer window. “Manchester United is pleased to confirm that Carlos Baleba has joined the club, subject to registration,” the 20-time Premier League champions said in a statement. His reported £70 million ($95 million) fee takes United’s spending on midfield reinforcements to more than £150m in this window. He joins Belgium’s Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos of Brazil in a new-look United midfield after veteran Casemiro left at the end of last season.

“Baleba has already established himself as one of the most talented midfielders in the Premier League,” said United.

“During the 2024/25 season, his combined number of tackles and interceptions was the sixth-highest among midfielders in the league, while he also ranked fourth-highest for progressive ball carries per 90 minutes.”

United had been interested in signing Baleba a year ago following two impressive seasons for Brighton, but baulked at the south coast club’s asking price.

His last season was far less impressive, but that did not put off the Old Trafford club.

“It is an incredible feeling to join the club of my dreams,” said Baleba.

“Playing at Old Trafford is always special but the opportunity to do so as a Manchester United player will be a real honour.

“I cannot wait to work with Michael Carrick; his experience and knowledge of the game make him the perfect coach to help me to reach the highest level.”

Baleba had joined Brighton from French team Lille in 2023 and made 112 appearances for the Seagulls, including 35 last season.

He was hot property a year ago before his star waned a touch during the following campaign.

But it is his athleticism and combativity which have convinced United to sign him.

He ranked “in the top eight per cent of players for combined tackles and interceptions as well as the top one per cent for second balls won” last season, United said.

“Carlos is an elite midfielder with immense potential to develop further,” said United’s director of football, Jason Wilcox, who also pointed to Baleba’s determination to join the club.

“He brings a unique combination of qualities that will really complement our squad.”

Baleba is still recovering from an ankle injury he suffered during pre-season.

He has signed a five-year contract with the option of a further year, according to reports.

The fee is £65 million plus a potential £5m in add-ons.

He will compete with Tielemans, Santos, Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount for a midfield starting berth at Old Trafford.

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Two weeks of preseason games are in the books, and we’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

This past week’s slate of preseason games, plus joint practices, brought us more glimpses of what we could expect to see in the regular season. But it brought some drama, too. Deshaun Watson was named the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback on Monday after making pointed remarks to the team’s fans following his lackluster performance on Saturday. There’s also an unusual storyline developing with players who might wind up playing college football in the next couple of weeks. 

So, with only one more preseason week to go, here are our takeaways from the latest slate of preseason games. 

1. Deshaun Watson Didn’t Deserve The Starting Job In Cleveland. He Got It Anyway.

Deshaun Watson was booed after completing just 5 of 12 passes in the Browns’ preseason game against the Bills on Saturday. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

Ralph Vacchiano: Deshaun Watson showed everyone on Saturday why he shouldn’t be the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback, with a terrible on-field performance and an even worse one off the field.

Then, Todd Monken gave him the job anyway. 

Maybe that’s a sign that the new Browns coach had nothing but bad options in his quarterback competition, but his choice still couldn’t have been any worse. He went with a 30-year-old who’ll surely be an ex-Brown next season over a somewhat promising young quarterback, Shedeur Sanders. And he did it two days after Watson was terrible in a preseason game against the Bills (5 of 12 for 36 yards and an interception) and then showed an incredible lack of self-awareness (and an abundance of immaturity) when he whined about being booed.

“I think the whole world knows it has nothing to do with the performance,” Watson said. “It’s a little more personal than that. So, I think that’s a disrespectful thing.”

OK, that’s a little rich and a lot outrageous, coming from the man who got the biggest fully-guaranteed contract in NFL history from the Browns in 2022 (five years, $230 million) even though he hadn’t played in two years and was accused of sexual misconduct by 27 women. He then rewarded that startling generosity by only being healthy enough to play in 19 games over the last four seasons — and not particularly well, either.

Even without that bad moment, though, Monken still made the wrong choice. The coach had been leaning this way, multiple team sources told me, in part because the Browns’ early schedule is overloaded with road games (their first two and six of their first nine), and Monken thought Watson’s veteran presence would help his young team. But Watson’s play didn’t warrant that faith. He was just 16 of 27 for 162 yards and an interception in two preseason games. His passer rating of 61.0 was even a notch below Sanders’ 65.2.

So while it’s true that there was no good option here, it’s also true that really is no upside to Watson, who is understandably reviled by what seems to be a majority of the Browns’ fan base. Starting Sanders at least would’ve given them hope that he can get better, something to look forward to other than the QB-rich 2027 draft.

Instead, Monken latched on to the anchor that has been scraping the Browns along rock bottom for the last five years. Sanders will surely get a shot later this season. But as usual in Cleveland, any hope for the future is delayed.

2. Yes, The Pipeline To The Pros Goes Both Ways

Jack Pyburn, who is on the Buccaneers, is one of a handful of NFL players who are in college football’s transfer portal. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Greg Auman: The most backwards trend of the NFL preseason? Marginal players testing the waters of playing in NFL preseason games and  … going back to college.

It seems impossible, but these days, if you can get a judge to rule the right way, traditional lines of amateurism and eligibility can disappear. The NCAA’s shift to a five-year eligibility model wasn’t intended to be backdated for athletes who had exhausted their window – and signed a pro contract, gotten paid and even played for NFL teams.

But that’s really happening, leaving general managers to wonder if they’ll lose players off their roster to the allure of NIL money from colleges. Tight end Dae’Quan Wright, an undrafted rookie with the Browns, put his name in the transfer portal. Cleveland has since waived him, setting him up to play for LSU this fall.

“Man, ain’t this s— crazy?” Browns coach Todd Monken said. “I mean, I don’t even know what to say … I wondered why Lane Kiffin reached out a week ago. Now I know. I didn’t call him back, guess I should have.”

Speaking of LSU, consider Tampa Bay Buccaneers undrafted rookie linebacker Jack Pyburn, who had two sacks in Tampa Bay’s preseason opener. He’s also one of the players granted a temporary restraining order that could allow him to return to college football. He played at LSU last year, and that sets up the man-bites-dog possibility of an NFL player leaving early for college.

The fall semester at LSU started on Monday, and NFL rosters will be cut from 90 players to 53 by 6 p.m. ET on Sunday. It’s unlikely the Bucs will keep Pyburn for their 53, but he has (had?) a good shot at their practice squad. That pays $247,500 for a full season, and Pyburn could make three or four times that much on the Van Wilder go-back-to-college route.

Pyburn said after Saturday’s preseason game that his agents had told the Bucs that college was a potential “backup plan,” but when pressed as to what he might decide if choosing between an NFL practice squad and going back to college, he was noncommittal.

“Ultimately, that’s a decision I’m going to have to make with my family, talk to my agents and see what’s the best business decision and what’s the best option for me and my future career,” he said.

Yes, it’s NFL “respect my decision” season.

Players would have to repay their NFL employers to regain college eligibility. Pyburn got a $15,000 bonus and $100,000 in guaranteed salary, but it’s possible that college NIL payments could also be covered by “offset” language standard in such contracts, normally intended so if NFL Team B pays a player to be on their practice squad, that subtracts from the money NFL Team A was on the hook for by their guarantee.

The league will have to sort out the ramifications. Can a player already passed over once in the draft get another shot, like baseball players do? This was already happening with basketball and G League players showing up on college rosters, but for NFL teams, it’s made roster-building even more complicated by the idea that players can make more money playing football at a lower level.

3. Stetson Bennett Commands Offense, Cements Role As Rams’ Backup QB

Stetson Bennett threw for 181 yards and led the Rams to a score in four of the five drives he played on Saturday. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)

Eric D. Williams: With Jimmy Garoppolo no longer on the roster, Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay’s search for someone to fill that void, should reigning MVP Matthew Stafford suffer an injury during the regular season, appears to be over. In the battle between Ty Simpson and Stetson Bennett, the Alabama product cracked the door open with a sparkling performance in a Week 1 preseason win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

But Bennett may have closed the door by playing well in a 34-0 victory over the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium. The Georgia product finished with two rushing touchdowns in the first half, leading the Rams to scoring drives on four of his five possessions. Bennett finished 19 of 31 for 181 yards, with no touchdown passes and no interceptions for a 77.5 passer rating. 

Ty Simpson also played solidly, finishing 8 of 12 for 73 yards in the second half. Simpson led the offense on one scoring drive. However, Bennett impressed McVay by the way he led the offense, with quarterbacks coach and associated offensive coordinator Dave Ragone calling the plays – although he didn’t like Bennett reaching for the pylon with the ball on his first rushing touchdown.

“I loved the fact that he used his legs,” McVay said. “We’ll learn from reaching the ball into the end zone, even though I challenged that and we were successful. We don’t want to leave ourselves susceptible to losing the ball out of the end zone where it goes for a touchback.

“But he did a great job. I thought he got an opportunity to really showcase a lot of his skills.”

4. Daniel Jones Primed To Pick Up From Where He Left Off Last Season

Daniel Jones is practicing in full just less than a year after his Achilles tear. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

Ben Arthur: Watching the Indianapolis Colts quarterback at Wednesday’s joint practice with the Atlanta Falcons, it was impossible for me to tell that he tore his Achilles just eight months ago.

Everything you want your passer to do — drop back, scramble, throw on the move, evade pressure — Jones looked normal in doing so. Oh, and he was carving up the Falcons’ secondary as well. With Indianapolis’ rushing attack struggling, Jones was near perfect in the pass game, targeting various receivers. 

We still need to see Jones move and perform in games. But all the early signs suggest that he can pick up from last season, when he was playing the best ball of his career before a broken leg slowed him down and the Achilles injury ended his season. 

“I think with any major rehab process, you’re always kind of progressing and getting back and getting used to doing everything, building up the reps on it, building up just your conditioning level,” Jones said Wednesday. “I feel really good and there’s nothing I don’t feel good doing.”

The Colts’ pass-catching situation around Jones is a bit shaky at the moment, given star tight end Tyler Warren (groin) and wide receiver Alec Pierce (offseason ankle surgery) are currently sidelined. But when they return, they’ll add to a group that features one of the league’s best slot receivers in Josh Downs and recent signee Keenan Allen, who’s been a dominant force on third down. 

That’s a cast of receivers Jones can find success with. 

“I think it could be really special, to be honest,” Colts coach Shane Steichen said of the pass-catching group. “Alec (Pierce) obviously is a hell of a football player, which you guys know. [Josh] Downs, Tyler [Warren], and then adding Keenan [Allen] to the fold. I think we can do a lot with those guys and move bodies around and find matchups.” 

5. Let’s Have A Conversation About Chiefs Breakout Rookie WR Cyrus Allen

Cyrus Allen has been one of the hiefs’ most productive receivers in training cmap. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)

Henry McKenna: If you’ve been following training camp for Kansas City, you’ve heard of Allen. If you’re the type who combs X for potential breakout stars in fantasy football, you’ve heard of Allen. If you’re obsessed with NFL rookies and the draft, you’ve heard of Allen. 

His training camp highlights have been crazy. And Andy Reid didn’t slow the hype’s momentum.

“He’s done a nice job,” Reid said of Allen. “The quarterback trusts him.”

This was the first week of training camp. Allen was a sixth-round pick out of Louisiana Tech.

It felt like a big proclamation, particularly given that Rashee Rice has a history of missing time due to injuries and suspensions and Xavier Worthy has failed to live up to his first-round hype. 

Since then, Allen has played well — steadily doing what he could to move up the depth chart. That included scoring touchdowns with the first-team when paired with Patrick Mahomes. That also included beating first-round cornerback Mansoor Delane in 1-on-1s and team drills (7×7 and 11×11), per reporters on the scene.

But here’s the truth for anyone expecting the second coming of Tyreek Hill. The folks at Arrowhead Pride broke it down with depth. But it’s likely — perhaps even overly optimistic — to project 60 for Allen. And only six receivers converted 60 targets into 500+ receiving yards in 2025.

But before he wows in the box score, he’ll need to land in the WR3 spot. Given that he was playing behind Tyquan Thornton and Jaylen Royals in the second preseason game, Allen appears to be WR5. For what it’s worth, Hill had 83 targets, 61 catches, 593 yards and six touchdowns in his rookie season. That would be a great year for Allen.

So keep an eye on him. He’s a real playmaker. But let’s stay reasonable for a rookie in a Chiefs’ offense that has a lot of mouths to feed.

6. De’Zhaun Stribling Shows Kyle Shanahan Knows How To Evaluate WRs

De’Zhaun Stribling had four receptions for 46 yards in the 49ers’ preseason win over the Chargers. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)

Williams: NFL draft analysts were up in arms over the San Francisco 49ers taking Ole Miss product De’Zhaun Stribling in the second round, believing the organization had reached for a player that some consensus draft boards had going later in the draft.

However, through two weeks of preseason play, Stribling has acquitted himself nicely. Stribling is tied for the league lead with 11 catches for 109 yards, with a long of 32 yards. He finished with four catches for 46 yards in a win over the Los Angeles Chargers this week. 

I had a chance to watch Stribling in a joint practice at the Chargers’ facility. At 6-2 and 210 pounds, Stribling is an easy mover with suction-cup hands that can make contested catches in congested areas.

Along with that, Stribling has the potential for explosive playmaking ability to do something after the catch, a key attribute in Shanahan’s offense. With Ricky Pearsall out for the year and Brandon Ayiuk no longer on the roster, Stribling should find a significant role in San Francisco’s offense this season.

“I love how he handles himself,” Shanahan said about Stribling. “He takes coaching well and never seems to take anything personally. He’s been a real fun guy to coach so far.”

7. Bills’ Thin WR Corps May Be More Of A Problem Than Ever

Khalil Shakir missed practice time and the Bills’ preseason game against the Browns this past week. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Vacchiano: One great NFL mystery of this generation will surely be why the Buffalo Bills, with arguably the best quarterback in the league in Josh Allen, keep failing to surround him with top-end receivers. And once again, heading towards a season they hope will end in a Super Bowl, that failure is being exposed.

Though they are getting a solid performance this summer from D.J. Moore, the veteran “No. 1” wideout they acquired from the Chicago Bears, the rest of the corps is falling apart. Keon Coleman, their second-best receiver last season (38 receptions for 404 yards and four touchdowns), is nursing a concerning sprained toe. Khalil Shakir, last season’s top wideout (72 receptions for 719 yards and four touchdowns), missed the joint practices and preseason game against the Browns last week with an undisclosed injury. And rookie Skyler Bell, their fourth-round pick, has missed two weeks with a groin injury.

That leaves Allen right now with Moore, who cost the Bills a second-round pick in March, Joshua Palmer (22 receptions for 303 yards and zero touchdowns) last season, and … not much else.

That, of course, is not how the Bills see it. One team source told me their belief is that Allen can win with almost anyone around him, and that he can take what looks like a below-average group and make them much better. They are also convinced that Moore, at age 29, can reverse his steep, two-year decline simply by playing with an elite quarterback.

It’s a gamble, of course, because otherwise all the pieces are in place in Buffalo: A powerful running game led by James Cook, a top offensive line, a top-10 defense that gets a boost from the addition of edge rusher Bradley Chubb. And of course, the brilliance of Allen will always give them a shot.

Still, it’s hard not to imagine what this team would look like with just one elite receiver by Allen’s side. It would make their path to Buffalo’s first Super Bowl in 33 years look a lot easier than it currently is.

The Seattle Seahawks have waived running back Anthony Hankerson, who could try to play in college again.

Hankerson signed with the Seahawks last week and rushed for 10 yards on five carries in their 19-16 preseason loss at Tennessee on Sunday night. He also caught two passes for nine yards.

He is among 16 players who graduated high school in 2022 and became eligible to play a fifth collegiate season thanks to a Louisiana court order last week. Once he clears waivers, he could enter the transfer portal.

Running back T.J. Harden, who played for the Seahawks in their preseason game against Dallas, was also among those granted a temporary restraining order by the Louisiana judge. Harden, who played last year at SMU and went undrafted, was waived by the Seahawks and entered the portal last week.

Hankerson was an undrafted rookie out of Oregon State who signed with Miami in April, then was waived earlier this month.

He ran for 1,086 yards and nine touchdowns last season, his second in Corvallis. He also had 22 catches for 123 yards.

Reporting by the Associated Press.

When FC Bayern Munich sporting director Christoph Freund reflects on Harry Kane‘s impact in Germany, he does not speak merely of the goals the Englishman scored but of his transformational elite presence that has redefined the definition of a complete player, both on the field and off it. Ahead of another demanding campaign, the leadership at Bayern Munich has thrown its full weight behind the England captain’s push for the Ballon d’Or honour. Speaking to NDTV on the sidelines of the Franz Beckenbauer Super Cup, Christoph Freund couldn’t stop singing praises about Kane’s standing at the apex of global football.

“First of all, I think he deserves to win the Ballon d’Or,” Freund declared. “He played a really outstanding season, and he is an outstanding player for us and also for the England national team. We will see, but it means a lot also for Bayern Munich when you have one of the best players in the world playing in your team. We will see what’s coming, but in the end, it will be a really great thing for everybody.”

The sentiment within the club is unanimous. With Kane posting relentless numbers, scoring approximately one goal per game across competitions, alongside leading England to the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Kane’s profile as a complete, modern forward makes a compelling case for the Golden Ball.

With Kane currently in the final year of his deal, his future in Munich remains is a hot topic of discussion. The situation has also put rival clubs across Europe on alert. However, Freund expressed supreme confidence that the 32-year-old’s journey in Germany is far from over.

“First of all, he feels really well here in the club and also the family feels really fine in Munich,” Freund confirmed regarding ongoing contract extension talks. “They love to be there and he reached a new level of his career, and therefore we are really optimistic. But we will see, we are in good talks.”

Photo Credit: Vera Loitzsch/Bundesliga via Getty Images

The Supporting Architecture At Bayern Munich

Beyond the spotlight on Kane, Bayern’s sporting director outlined how the club has built an environment designed for sustained elite performance, with head coach Vincent Kompany leading the charge.

Freund spoke about Bayern’s new signing Ismael Saibari as a crucial piece to complement the squad’s attacking engine alongside Jamal Musiala. “He is a really, really good player, he can play more positions up front. He brings us a little bit more physicality; he can score goals, he is a very intelligent player… It’s a really, really important signing for us,” he said.

Unlike previous summers, Bayern completed key transfer targets swiftly prior to major international tournaments. “This was our big goal to do this in the early time of the transfer period, because then you have not a lot of stress in the end and in my opinion you can make the deals a little bit easier and a little bit cheaper.”

Praising the head coach Kompany’s influence over his first two years in charge, Freund added: “He was a leader and you can feel this every day, and he is a really hard worker. He was from the beginning a really strong personality in the dressing room.”

As Bayern Munich set their sights on an even more successful season this term, the message from its sporting hierarchy is clear: Harry Kane stands at the centre of their ambitious vision, both as the club’s focal point and as football’s rightful player of the year.

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Florida State has yet another visitor on its schedule for the regular season. 2028 three-star wide receiver Avery Thompson has locked in a trip to see the Seminoles on Oct. 29, per Kenny Van Doren of Rivals, which is two days before they play the Clemson Tigers.

The assumption is that Thompson will stay to watch the game on Saturday since Paducah High School ends its season on Oct. 23 against Calloway County. He also has visits to see the Washington Huskies (Sept. 6), Kentucky Wildcats (Sept. 12), Missouri Tigers (Sept. 19), West Virginia Mountaineers (Sept. 26), Illinois Fighting Illini (Oct. 3), Louisville Cardinals (Oct. 9), Indiana Hoosiers (Oct. 17), and Ole Miss Rebels (Nov. 7).

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Thompson is the No. 548 player in the country and the No. 87 wide receiver per the Rivals industry rankings. In the state of Kentucky, he’s the No. 5 prospect.

He’s coming off a huge sophomore season. Thompson registered 70 receptions for 1,062 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also gained 97 yards on 18 carries, plus he threw one touchdown pass.

Contact/Follow us @FSUWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida State news, notes and opinions. You can also follow Matthew on X @StarConscience

This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: FSU to host wide receiver prospect from Kentucky

Life Leisure has reached a major financial milestone, operating Stockport Council’s active wellbeing services without revenue support from the local authority.

The operator finished the year £625,000 ahead of budget and £830,000 ahead of the previous year, generating a £60,000 operational surplus.

This means the net cost of leisure provision to Stockport Council has fallen by £2.3 million since the Stockport Active Community Interest Company was established.

The result follows a restructuring of the relationship between Life Leisure and the council, with the operator now acting directly as its agent – a move which has enabled VAT rebates and strengthened integration between leisure and wider council services.

Income also increased by around 9 per cent year-on-year, helped by growth in swimming lessons, income at Stockport Sports Village, the addition of a padel court at Grand Central and rising membership following a three-year refurbishment programme, with membership ending the financial year at 16,800.

Overall operating costs remained flat, in spite of staffing costs increasing by 10 per cent as the operator moves towards becoming a Real Living Wage employer.

Life Leisure says its services generated more than £22 million in social value during 2025/26, based on 92,920 individual participants meeting national physical activity thresholds across almost two million visits.

The organisation is also scaling its Grow Academy in line with Stockport Council’s wider People Plan, creating structured career development pathways intended to build a workforce capable of operating across commercial leisure, community prevention and clinical healthcare intervention.

The move points to a broader ambition for the organisation: positioning staff not simply as facility operators, but as part of Stockport’s wider preventative health workforce.

CEO John Oxley said the organisation exists to serve “the whole of Stockport, not just those who walk through the doors of our Hubs”, with a particular focus on people who are least active and furthest from good health.

“We’ve come a long way,” he said, “growth in every aspect of our business, every year for the last four years; meeting the needs of those already motivated to take care of their own health while working on initiatives that encourage those traditionally under-served through socially-connected activity that’s non-judgmental and enables more people to live well and feel better.”

HCM Summit 2026

John Oxley is part of the all-keynote line-up for this year’s HCM Summit, taking place in Westminster, London on 22 October.

Other speakers are SATS CEO Sondre Gravir; Nuffield Health CEO Alex Perry; Future Practice co-founder Oli Patrick; Brain and Fitness CEO Anna Milani; Tribute Brands CEO Jonathan Fisher; Jims CEO PJ Nuitten; Fitness First UK MD Marc Diaper; GB sprinter, Gladiator and You+ ambassador Harry Aikines-Aryeetey; Everyone Active MD Duncan Jefford and GP and TV doctor Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi.

You can book your place here.

**Background briefing – Life Leisure**

Life Leisure’s move to zero revenue support has been underpinned by a cross-subsidisation model which uses income from commercially successful facilities and services to fund preventative health and community interventions.

Higher-spec gym and studio provision in stronger trading locations helps support programmes including hospital-based activity, SEND sessions and Greater Manchester’s largest exercise referral scheme.

Life Leisure says the exercise referral programme costs less than £200 per participant to deliver while generating an estimated £22,000 in social value for each person taking part.

That emphasis on social return has led the operator to broaden the way it measures performance. Alongside QALYs and data from Moving Communities, it is using Wellby methodology, which assesses changes in self-reported life satisfaction alongside preventative health cost reductions for the health service.

Expanding access for populations furthest from good health has been a priority. The Stockport Active Scheme was launched to reduce barriers to activity for more than 800 underserved residents.

In June, Life Leisure opened the Move Well Studio at Avondale – the first publicly accessible facility of its kind in Greater Manchester – for people with acute mobility challenges, neurological conditions and age-related physical decline.

Community campaigns are being used to extend Life Leisure’s reach beyond its facilities. Its Move Stockport campaign, delivered with the NHS, schools and local businesses, encouraged residents to complete 30 minutes of activity a day and resulted in an 11 per cent increase in recorded exercise to 8.25 million minutes – an additional 14,000 hours of movement across the borough compared with the previous year.

Digital systems are increasingly being deployed to improve engagement and retention. Monthly active users of the Life Leisure app increased by 31.5 per cent year-on-year to 19,052, while the wider web ecosystem recorded 168,000 active users and 2.3 million digital interactions.

An automated 60-day CRM onboarding journey increased member onboarding completion rates from 13 per cent to 32 per cent and – according to the operator – extended average membership tenure by two months.

Life Leisure has also introduced Stockport Sam, an AI-powered virtual assistant designed to handle frontline customer service queries and sales navigation.

A new leisure management system is being prepared, with the aim of delivering greater customer personalisation, simplifying booking pathways and generating deeper operational insight.

Next-stage projects include the integrated Community Wellbeing Hub at Marple and expansion of the PARiS exercise referral programme.

Manchester City’s Erling Haaland warms up prior to the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Bournemouth in Manchester, England, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)

Erling Haaland’s future at Manchester City may be secure for now, but one former City midfielder believes the Norwegian’s long-term stay at the Etihad should not be taken for granted.Haaland has committed himself to the club on a contract running until 2034 and remains the centrepiece of City’s attack. Yet with the club entering a new era and facing questions over whether it can maintain the dominance of recent seasons, Gareth Barry believes the next couple of years could be decisive in determining whether the prolific striker eventually looks for a new challenge

Why Haaland could eventually look elsewhere

Haaland joined City in 2022 and has already established himself as one of the most prolific goalscorers in the club’s history.The 26-year-old has scored 162 goals in 200 appearances across all competitions for City, while playing a major role in a period that included a historic Treble in 2022-23. His long-term contract, signed in 2024, was designed to keep one of football’s most coveted strikers at the Etihad well into the next decade.But Barry does not believe the length of that agreement necessarily means Haaland will see it through.Speaking exclusively to GOAL, the former England international said: “Erling Haaland leaving Man City one day is inevitable.”Barry stressed that Haaland has no reason to force an exit while City remain competitive, and expects the striker to avoid the kind of public agitation that has accompanied some high-profile transfers.“As much as Haaland’s association with City is really big, and that will keep him there for now, he won’t be rocking the boat like you see a lot of other players doing,” Barry said.

Manchester City’s Erling Haaland during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Bournemouth in Manchester, England, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)

The former City player believes the situation could change if the club’s trophy haul begins to decline.“I think if City’s dominance does wane a little bit and the trophies aren’t coming in, it will fuel the speculation,” he explained. “It is natural sometimes to want a new challenge, and I’m sure Haaland will be no different.”Barry’s prediction is therefore less about Haaland wanting out immediately and more about what happens around him.“It’s not just going to happen overnight. Haaland will think about his career, which is short,” he said. “But if the trophies aren’t coming in, it will just fuel speculation.”And given Haaland’s standing in the game, Barry expects the striker to have no shortage of options if he eventually decides the time is right.“He will have offers from all over the world because he’s the best striker in the world, so it’s just natural. It’s one you can see happening in the future.”

The next two years could be crucial

For Barry, the most important period may not be the end of Haaland’s current contract but the next two seasons.He believes the striker’s eventual decision will be heavily influenced by how competitive City remain domestically and in Europe.“A lot will depend on how competitive City are in Europe and the Premier League in the next year or two, I should imagine,” Barry said.That is particularly significant given the changes taking place around Haaland.Pep Guardiola has departed after his long spell in charge, while City are now entering a new era under Enzo Maresca. At the same time, Rodri has left, removing one of the most influential players from the team’s midfield.Those developments have led Barry to question whether City can immediately return to the top of the Premier League.

Barry expects Arsenal to be favourites

City have gone two seasons without winning the Premier League, with Liverpool and then Arsenal restoring themselves to the top of the domestic game.Barry, who helped City win their first Premier League title in 2011-12, believes the latest changes could make a title challenge even more difficult.“Even before selling Rodri, given the turnover of managers at City, it would have been tough to overturn Arsenal from where they are at the moment,” he told GOAL.“I think with Rodri going, they’re even less of a threat now to challenge Arsenal.”Barry expects City to strengthen further and believes new additions could ease the burden on Elliot Anderson and the rest of the midfield, but he does not think that will necessarily be enough to make them favourites.“I’m sure they’re going to sign one or two to improve and maybe replace him, which will help [Elliot] Anderson and the other players in that midfield,” he said. “I’d say they have less of a chance to challenge and maybe win the title now Rodri is gone. I won’t say they’ve given the title away, but it’s making it a lot harder.”His assessment of the title race is emphatic.“I have Arsenal down as huge favourites,” Barry said. “I just feel with City, with what’s going on, the threat is less and less this season and Rodri leaving has just added to that, really. So I can see the other clubs improving.”He also expects Chelsea to progress after missing out on Champions League football, while believing Manchester United and Aston Villa could find European competition challenging.Ultimately, Barry still expects City to finish second but sees a sizeable gap between them and Arsenal.“I still think City will possibly be in second place, but they’ll be less of a threat than they were last year,” he said.

Spain remains a possible destination

Haaland’s future has already been linked with the two biggest clubs in Spain.Real Madrid’s long-standing pursuit of elite attacking talent means the Norwegian continues to be associated with a potential move to the Santiago Bernabéu, while Barcelona are also expected to consider options for the No. 9 position as they plan for life beyond Robert Lewandowski.Those links have existed since Haaland established himself as one of Europe’s premier strikers and could become increasingly prominent if City’s competitive level drops.A move to Madrid was even part of the platform of former Real Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme, who promised to sign Haaland had he won the club’s election.He did not, leaving the situation unchanged for now.

Manchester City’s Erling Haaland shows his frustration during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Bournemouth in Manchester, Sunday Aug. 23, 2026. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)

There is no indication that Haaland is currently pushing to leave City, and his enormous contract gives the club significant security. But Barry’s argument is that circumstances, rather than the contract itself, could ultimately determine the striker’s next move.If City continue challenging for major honours, there may be little reason for Haaland to look elsewhere. If that dominance begins to disappear, however, the equation changes.For a striker who has already achieved extraordinary numbers at the Etihad and who is entering what should be the prime years of his career, the next two seasons could tell City, and Haaland, whether the future is still in Manchester.