The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Dollar Tree 301 is at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend. This is the 25th race of the season and will feature 36 drivers competing for 301 laps at the 1.058-mile-long track.
Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney is the defending winner of the event. He will start from eighth position on Sunday.
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What time does the NASCAR race start today?
Start Time: 2 pm ET
Date: Sunday, August 23
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How to watch the NASCAR race today? TV channel details
The 2026 Dollar Tree 301 will air on USA Network, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at 2 pm ET in the United States. USA Network has broadcasting rights for complete coverage of the season’s New Hampshire event.
UK
Fans in the UK and Ireland can watch the race on Premier Sports at 7 pm BST on August 23 (Sunday).
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Canada
Canadian viewers can catch the action on TSN at 2 pm ET.
India
Indian viewers can watch the race by using a VPN at 11:30 pm IST on Sunday (August 23).
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New Zealand
The action is listed internationally on Sky Sports NZ and will stream at 6 am NZST on Monday, August 24.
Australia
The race will be available on FOX Sports Australia at 4 am AEST on Monday, August 24.
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Sub-Saharan Africa
In Africa, the NASCAR New Hampshire race can be enjoyed on SuperSport at 8 pm CAT on Sunday.
2026 Dollar Tree 301 Live Streaming Options
Live streaming of the 2026 Dollar Tree 301 will be available on USA Network on both Android and iOS devices.
On Aug. 4, the Zips launched the promotion by announcing on social media a season-ticket holder selected through a random drawing would become “Offensive Coordinator of the Game.”
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Season-ticket sales have soared since then, and the contest has become a national story.
In the meantime, the Akron athletics department has turned to UA’s College of Business and George W. Daverio School of Accountancy to manage the selection of the “Offensive Coordinator of the Game.”
Akron disclosed the identities of nine finalists during a news conference on Wednesday, Aug. 19, at House Three Thirty, and UA plans to reveal the winner on Tuesday, Aug. 25.
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Of the nine finalists, one is a well-known sports media personality, Dan “Big Cat” Katz, another is a popular YouTuber and gamer, James Bordeaux, and three are longtime Zips football season-ticket holders, Martin Alan Whims II, Mike Beck Jr. and Steve Moyer.
A football helmet is seen on display before the University of Akron’s “Offensive Coordinator of the Game” promotional event, Aug. 19, 2026, at House Three Thirty in Akron, Ohio.
University of Akron College of Business backs legitimacy of the Zips football program’s ‘Offensive Coordinator of the Game’ contest
Willy Kollman, Akron’s vice president of university engagement and de facto emcee for events like the one held at House Three Thirty, displayed a sense of humor about the list of finalists as he announced it.
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When Katz of Barstool Sports fame was unveiled as a finalist, Kollman said, “Just to reiterate, the school of accounting drew this name. Akron athletics has nothing to do with this.” And when Whims’ status as a finalist was announced, Kollman quipped, “Marty also has an accounting degree from Akron and is a little suspicious that the school of accounting rigged this in his favor. We’d love to say that’s the case, but it’s not.”
Akron officials are clearly having fun with the promotion while acknowledging at least some of the skepticism its selection process has received. Yet, on a serious note, they’re adamant the university, specifically its college of business, is committed to running a legitimate contest.
Speaker title cards are seen set out before the University of Akron’s “Offensive Coordinator of the Game” promotional event, Aug. 19, 2026, at House Three Thirty in Akron, Ohio.
Terry Daugherty, dean of Akron’s College of Business, and Julianne Jones, a UA professor and director of the university’s Daverio School of Accountancy, spoke to the Beacon Journal about implementing and executing a process to determine the “Offensive Coordinator of the Game.” They also addressed fans who attended UA’s news conference at House Three Thirty.
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Daugherty and Jones are vouching for the contest in no uncertain terms.
“We are honored to be entrusted with the important responsibility of certifying the selection process, ensuring that the winning fan is chosen with the highest level of integrity,” Daughterty said. “When thousands of fans participate and the eyes of the world are watching, not just in House Three Thirty, you need people you can rely upon to make sure the process is fair, accurate and credible. That is exactly the role of our Daverio School of Accountancy.”
Akron season-ticket holders were entered into the drawing for “Offensive Coordinator of the Game,” with every season ticket counting as a separate entry. For example, Katz tweeted on Aug. 20 he had purchased 18 season tickets, meaning he would have had 18 entries. There is another way a participant could increase his or her odds of winning. UA’s contest rules state, “Season ticket holders will receive additional entries for every new season ticket holder they successfully refer.”
How did the University of Akron form the list of finalists for the Zips football team’s ‘Offensive Coordinator of the Game’ promotion?
Jones shared what she told Akron athletics brass, including Zips athletic director Andrew T. Goodrich, when she was initially approached about assisting with the contest.
“This needed to be a random and independent draw to keep it fair for everyone who was entering in the competition,” Jones said. “How that was done is I’d accessed the files through athletics. Athletics had no idea who the ticket holders were. The files came to me. I had a file for ticket holders and a file for referrals.
“I looked at those files for completeness. They were reviewed to make sure the applicants’ eligibilities were complete following the guidelines. And then with two witnesses from the College of Business, one who’s with us here tonight, they reviewed the process, and I went through and did the process in Excel using a random generator.”
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Zippy greets guests before the University of Akron’s “Offensive Coordinator of the Game” promotional event, Aug. 19, 2026, at House Three Thirty in Akron, Ohio.
Daugherty and Jones explained the generator created a ranking. The top 10 people in the ranking were the finalists, and the individual filling the No. 1 spot in the same ranking will be unveiled as the winner on Aug. 25. At the time of the Aug. 19 news conference, Jones and only two other people knew who had won the contest, she said.
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One of the contestants who landed in the top 10 withdrew from consideration for “Offensive Coordinator of the Game,” creating a list of finalists with nine names.
“I was surprised to be honest,” Daugherty said of the finalist who bowed out. “Some of these individuals may decide from now until then they don’t want to do it, either, because it’s a lot of pressure, and it’ll put a spotlight [on the winner]. But the intent, this is fun. This is fun and exciting.”
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In addition to Katz, Pat McAfee and Jon Gruden are celebrities in sports media who indicated they purchased Akron season tickets to enter the contest. They are not finalists.
Still, Katz and Bordeaux being among the finalists has prompted some fans to posit Akron must have fixed the contest to further build buzz about the promotion.
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“I am a former media and marketing person, so, yes, I get why you would want [celebrities or influencers to be finalists],” Daugherty said. “But I’m telling you when we sat down to do this and talk about and work out these procedures, [Jones] is a magnificent accountant, and accountants are about rules and compliance and policy. And this is what she followed, and she did a wonderful job. I just got to witness it and support her.”
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When Katz, McAfee and Gruden were mentioned by the Beacon Journal, Jones didn’t hesitate to respond.
“If it helps, I don’t know any of those names. It didn’t mean anything to me,” she said with a laugh.
Akron Zips quarterback Reese Poffenbarger look over plays with coach Joe Moorhead during UA’s Spring Showcase on April 25, 2026, in Akron.
Akron announces nine finalists for ‘Offensive Coordinator of the Game’
Here is the complete list of finalists for Akron’s “Offensive Coordinator of the Game” promotion:
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Brandon Wigen of Bellevue, Nebraska
Dan “Big Cat” Katz of Barstool Sports
Jack Rooney of Long Island, New York
Martin Alan Whims II of Akron (former UA student and longtime Zips football season-ticket holder)
Mike Beck Jr. (longtime Zips football season-ticket holder)
Sean Struncius of Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey (now based in Kansas City, Missouri)
Steve Moyer (1989 UA graduate and longtime Zips football season-ticket holder)
Tim Sharfman of Austin, Texas
A 10th candidate was selected but withdrew from the contest, according to UA
When does Akron Zips football start the 2026 season?
Akron is scheduled to open its 2026 season on the road against Wake Forest at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3.
UA’s home opener featuring the input of the “Offensive Coordinator of the Game” contest winner is set for 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, against Robert Morris at InfoCision Stadium.
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
A custom gaming keyboard backlit with red LED lights waits for tactile input before Manual took on Boone County in a Rocket League match, which was streamed on YouTube on Thursday, March 5, 2020.
Sentinels and Disguised helped their causes to get into contention with victories Saturday in Week 5 regular-season action at the League Championship Series Summer Split.
Disguised, close to the bottom of the standings, improved to 1-4 with a sweep of last-place Dignitas (0-5). Sentinels (3-2) swept FlyQuest (1-4).
The LCS Summer Split is an eight-team event that began July 25 and will run through the finals in October. The seven-week round-robin regular season — in which all teams play each other once in a best-of-three match — will set the field for the six-team playoffs.
The top two teams in the regular season will advance to the playoff semifinals, while the third- through sixth-place teams will advance to the quarters. The bottom two teams in the standings are eliminated.
The playoffs, which run Sept. 12 through Oct. 4, are best-of-five and double elimination. The top three teams will advance to the World Championship, played in New York, Los Angeles and Allen, Texas, from Oct. 15 through Nov. 14.
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Sentinels swept FlyQuest, winning in 32 and 20 minutes. Cho “Rahel” Min-seong of South Korea and Isaac “DarkWings” Chou of the United States each had 11 kills for Sentinels, while teammate Ham “HamBak” Yoo-jin of South Korea had a 5-3-26 kill-death-assist ratio.
Disguised won in 38 and 29 minutes in defeating Dignitas. Christian “KryRa” Rahaian of Canada and Romania paced Disguised with a 13-4-16 K-D-A, while Sajed “sajed” Ziade of the United States had a 7-1-15 ratio.
Manchester United are continuing to work on transfers, and a bid of around £60m plus £5m in add-ons was submitted to Brighton for midfielder Carlos Baleba earlier this week.
With United potentially set for a busy end to the window, we’re running Q&A sessions to give you the chance to ask the questions you want to be answered. Add your question here and we will get back to you.
How will Baleba fit into United’s midfield?
United need to add a player who can provide mobility and more cover for the defence with their third midfield signing, and Baleba ticks those boxes. He has more strings to his bow than just winning the ball back, though, and that’s why United have been so keen on him for a while.
Baleba will add legs to the midfield and handle the bulk of the defensive work in the centre of the pitch. Interceptions, duels and turnovers are his meat and drink, but he’s also a decent passer.
If he signs he will play at the base of the midfield, raising the possibility that he will build a strong relationship with Andrey Santos, and he could be the perfect foil for Kobbie Mainoo and Youri Tielemans. United planned to overhaul their midfield this summer, and the department will look strong if they can sign Baleba.
Baleba is a good player, but he’s not at the level for United. Do you agree it’s a big mistake?
I’ve made no secret of the fact I haven’t been a believer in Baleba over the last 12 months, but when the context of the market and the profile of player United need to sign as their third midfield addition are considered, it adds up to the 22-year-old being a good signing.
Brighton wanted in excess of £100m for Baleba last summer. United are hopeful they can sign him for less than £75m, so they will get a value deal if an agreement can be reached with the Seagulls.
But Brighton have knocked down their valuation because Baleba was disappointing last season. He was hooked twice at half-time in the first half of the campaign, and he made just eight league starts in the second half of the season after returning from the Africa Cup of Nations.
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However, Baleba looked like a top talent in 2024/25. United believe he can regain that form and take it to another level, with the data department admiring his underlying metrics.
Then just take a look at the current state of the market. United missed out on Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes earlier in the window, and most of the midfielders who are still available don’t have much appeal.
Why is the club not signing another striker?
The last time I spoke to a club source about United potentially signing a striker this summer, they suggested it was down the priority list. But many other supporters would like to see it moved up the transfer to-do list, so you’re not alone in thinking United need to strengthen in that area.
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Benjamin Sesko is the only recognised striker in the squad, but United have a handful of players who can play down the middle, such as Bryan Mbeumo, Marcus Rashford, Matheus Cunha and potentially even Amad.
United have considered striker options during the window, whilst knowing that other areas were the priority, and whether a move is made or not will depend on Joshua Zirkzee’s position.
Michael Carrick claimed at his press conference on Thursday that no player has expressed a desire to leave and that he expects no outgoings, but Zirkzee has attracted interest from Italy, so it’s one to keep an eye on.
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We are short on the left side of the defence. What are the plans to fill this gap?
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United would like to sign a left-back once the third midfield signing is wrapped up. The question is: who could that player be? Newcastle will not sell Lewis Hall in this transfer window and there has been talk in the north east about him signing a new contract.
Speaking earlier this week, Mikel Arteta said that Myles Lewis-Skelly will stay at the Emirates this season. Racing de Santander defender Jorge Salinas is also an interesting name that has cropped up, along with Alejandro Balde.
It feels like United could spring another surprise in the market with a left-back signing. There won’t be much budget left, so a player at the lower end of the price scale could be brought in to be a deputy to Luke Shaw.
Will United give Amass the chance to take over at left-back in the future?
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The Harry Amass situation has split opinion among fans. Some believe he is ready to contribute to the first team, while others feel he should spend another season on loan in the Championship.
For me, Amass has done enough to deserve a crack at being around the first team this season. He was excellent for Sheffield Wednesday on loan, and he has looked sharp throughout pre-season this summer.
It might not be that simple, though. Amass wants to play regular football after getting a taste of it last term, and that might push him towards the exit door.
Whether Amass is given a chance to take over from Shaw in the future could depend on what happens in the next two weeks.
The competition is fierce, too, with Olympic champion Cole Hocker also in action and the form from both men will be crucial as the Diamond League Final and Ultimate World Championship draw nearer.
It’s a packed evening of track and field in Poland, with world champion Isaac Nader, European champion Stefan Nillessen and Great Britain’s Jake Heyward joining Hocker and Ingebrigtsen, following his first race back to win gold in the men’s 5,000m at the European Championships.
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Julien Alfred, Sha’Carri Richardson are in the star-studded women’s 100m, too.
Here’s everything you need to know about the meet.
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When is the Silesia Diamond League?
The Diamond League event in Silesia will take on place on Sunday 23 August, although the men’s high jump and women’s long jump took place on Saturday 22 August.
How can I watch it?
The BBC has the United Kingdom television rights to every Diamond League meeting, with live coverage of the London Diamond League on BBC Two from 4:10pm BST on Sunday, as well as BBC iPlayer for the earlier events.
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View all results from the Silesia Diamond League here.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway with his medal after winning gold during the Men’s 5000m Final (PA)
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Joe Milton had another good day in his quest to become the Dallas Cowboys’ backup quarterback. Coach Brian Schottenheimer says there’s still work to be done.
The third-year player — who is battling Sam Howell for the No. 2 role behind Dak Prescott — threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score in a second straight impressive preseason effort, sparking the Cowboys to a 34-13 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night.
“This is long from over,” Schottenheimer said about the backup quarterback competition. “We’re going back to Frisco, thankfully, get a chance to be home and put some more training camp days in. You’ve got to give Joe his credit, he’s played really well the past two games, but we have a lot of confidence in Sam as well.”
Milton finished 9-of-13 passing for 176 yards, connecting on a 53-yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Mingo and a 70-yard strike to Camden Brown that set up Milton’s 1-yard touchdown run a play later. The play to Mingo was perfectly executed, with the receiver making a double move before Milton hit him in stride down the left sideline.
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“This game is about to being able to control the RPMs of the football and throw it with different speeds and touches,” Schottenheimer said. “He’s done that at a very high level.”
Dallas built a 24-6 lead by halftime. Jaydon Blue ran for 75 yards on 15 carries.
The 26-year-old Milton was a sixth-round pick by New England in 2024. He played in four regular-season games with Dallas last season, throwing for 183 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.
Howell completed 7 of 10 passes for 65 yards in the second half, but also threw an interception in the end zone. He started all 17 games with Washington in 2023 and was with Philadelphia last season but didn’t appear in any regular-season games.
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Both teams rested most of their starters.
Arizona’s Gardner Minshew completed 19 of 23 passes for 177 yards, playing the entire first half and the first series of the second half. He’s expected to be Jacoby Brissett’s backup this season.
Dallas defence shines early
Cowboys cornerback Shavon Revel picked off Minshew’s pass midway through the first quarter after receiver Simi Fehoko slipped on the route. Revel returned the ball 22 yards to the Arizona 12.
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Three plays later, Milton escaped from the pocket, rolled out to his left and hit Malik Davis for an 8-yard touchdown pass and a 7-0 lead.
Revel is in his second season after being drafted by the Cowboys in the third round out of East Carolina in 2025. He played in seven games last year, starting five.
Cowboys rookie linebacker Jaishawn Barham also had an early tackle for loss.
Penalty problems for Cardinals
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The Cardinals had two touchdowns called back on the same drive when receiver Rivaldo Fairweather was flagged for a pair of penalties. Fairweather was called for offensive holding on the first play and offensive pass interference on the second.
Arizona had a to settle for a 38-yard field goal from Chad Ryland, which cut the deficit to 14-3.
Later in the first half, the Cardinals were called for a false start at the Dallas 1-yard line. Minshew was sacked on the next play and Ryland kicked a 31-yard field goal.
“It was the culmination of our week — we had a sloppy week of practice,” coach Mike LaFleur said. “I don’t think we’ve practiced really well over the last week since Vegas. There have been individuals who have practiced well, there’s been times where we’ve done good things, but overall it wasn’t good enough.
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“This — tonight — was a summary of that week in general.”
Cardinals safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (ribs) left late in the first quarter after delivering a big hit on Cowboys tight end Zack Kuntz. Taylor-Demerson was called for a personal foul on the play. … Cowboys safety Julius Wood left in the third quarter with a concussion.
WNBA games have often been disrupted by fans throwing s*x toys on the hardwood, with the perpetrators usually never getting caught. However, an offender was finally caught on Friday, as a clip of him being arrested in a Luka Doncic jersey quickly went viral online.
Brick Center shared the video of the suspect’s arrest on X (formerly Twitter) and reported that he was banned from NBA and WNBA games.
“The latest WNBA d*ldo thrower has been arrested and banned from all NBA/WNBA games,” Brick Center captioned the post.
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In the clip, three police officers appeared to be handcuffing the reported suspect, who was donning a white Luka Doncic Lakers jersey. The perpetrator was arrested for disrupting the matchup between the Atlanta Dream and the LA Sparks after throwing a green d*ldo on the court at the Crypto.com Arena.
While the suspect was caught on Friday, this didn’t stop the incident from recurring a day later, with three d*ldos being flung onto the court during the game between the Golden State Valkyries and the Chicago Sky.
Although the practice continues to plague the WNBA, Friday’s arrest represents a step in the right direction, as the man in the Doncic jersey is allegedly the first person to be apprehended for throwing a sex toy onto the court.
Chicago Sky guard slams “men” for throwing d*ldos onto the court during WNBA games
After the game between the Golden State Valkyries and the Chicago Sky was disrupted with three d*ldos being thrown onto the court on Friday, veteran guard Natasha Cloud didn’t hold back while addressing the incident.
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Cloud slammed the act during the post-game interview, claiming that it was usually “men” behind such heinous acts before describing it as the “gayest thing.”
“In most of these occasions, it’s men. And I want you to know that the gayest thing that you can do is go to a s*x shop, buy a d*ldo, come to a women’s game to throw the d*ldo on the court,” Cloud said.
“That is the gayest s*** that I’ve ever heard. So I’m a firm believer in anyone that has so much problem with a certain marginalized group, just come out and say that you’re a part of our marginalized group because that hate is unwarranted. It’s not factual.”
While Cloud criticized the trend of throwing objects onto the court, her decision to single out male fans earned her backlash.
Algerian international striker Amine Gouiri scored a second-half double for Marseille, who powered to a 4-0 victory over Strasbourg in the curtain-raiser for the new Ligue 1 season on Friday evening.
Arsenal kicked off their Premier League title defence in similarly resounding fashion, seeing off promoted side Coventry City 3-0 at home with goals from Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, and Martin Ødegaard.
Jannik Sinner has announced his withdrawal from the upcoming US Open, with the world number one yet to recover from a knee injury. His rival Carlos Alcaraz, meanwhile, is set to return from a four-month absence to defend his title in New York.
Alex Lanier is making history for French badminton, having become the country’s first representative to reach the World Championship semi-finals. Ahead of his semi-final against Canada‘s Victor Lai on Saturday, the Normandy native is already guaranteed at least a bronze medal in New Delhi.
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain reacts after winning the pole position in the qualifying for the Formula One Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort , Netherlands, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
McLaren driver Lando Norris won pole position for Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix, the current world champion pipping Mercedes rivals George Russell and Kimi Antonelli into second and third place.
The British driver set a time of one minute and 11.163 seconds, 0.102 seconds faster than compatriot Russell, to take a critical advantage into the Grand Prix race on Sunday.
“Best lap of my life,” said a pumped-up Norris, who had earlier complained his McLaren was lacking pace after being beaten into third in the sprint race earlier Saturday.
“I just had to commit through everything because I knew how close it was going to be,” added the 26-year-old, who is enjoying a run of good form having won the Hungarian Grand Prix before the summer break.
Russell had been the quickest driver all weekend but was forced into second place on the grid on the last qualifying lap that was affected by light rain.
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“I was on a very strong lap, to be honest. And then I just had a small oversteer in turn eight” that cost him the vital tenth of a second, said Russell.
World championship leader Antonelli will start from third on the grid, ruing a difficult qualifying session with an error in turn one costing him a few crucial tenths of a second.
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The teenage sensation set the pace in the first half of the season, winning six races, including a stunning run of five consecutive Grand Prix.
But the chasing pack has closed in fast, with McLaren in particular bringing upgrades to their car that have brought them into contention.
“It was a very good wake-up call this weekend that you can never lower your guard,” said Antonelli, who turns 20 next week.
Oscar Piastri, who took the chequered flag last year at Zandvoort, qualified fourth, ahead of the two Ferraris driven by Charles Leclerc and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
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Despite raucous home support, local favourite Max Verstappen was unable to make an impact and will start seventh on the grid.
‘Real fight’
Frome the left, second-placed Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain, first-placed McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain and third-placed Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy stand on the podium after the qualifying for the Formula One Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort , Netherlands, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Sunday’s race promises to be a nail-biter, with just a few tenths of a second separating the top four or five drivers.
Starting on pole, however, will be a major advantage for Norris.
Since Zandvoort returned to the Grand Prix calendar in 2021, the pole-setter has won every time given the difficulty of overtaking on the unique track.
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“We have a real fight on our hands these days,” said Russell after triumphing in the sprint.
“I think that’s quite fun and that’s how Formula One should be. It shouldn’t just be two teammates going for race wins week in week out. Everybody should be in with a shot,” he added.
Ferrari will also challenge on Sunday. Leclerc overhauled Norris in the sprint and Hamilton will be aiming to take a chunk out of Antonelli’s 53-point championship lead.
McLaren, who have won here for the past two editions, will also be in the mix and it would be a brave punter who rules out four-time world champion Max Verstappen — especially not at his “home” Grand Prix.
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The “orange army” roaring him on will hope he can produce a miracle in his Red Bull that has been off the pace so far this season.
Sunday’s Grand Prix will be the last edition for the Dutch since the Zandvoort circuit.
Despite attracting big crowds eager to see Verstappen, promoters have pulled the plug, saying the financial risks were too great.
Fears that Verstappen, who has made little secret of his dislike of the 2026 regulations, could quit the sport played a part in the decision to pull the plug on Zandvoort.
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But ironically, as the teams were setting up for the last Dutch Grand Prix, Verstappen announced he had extended his contract with Red Bull until 2030, guaranteeing his future and Dutch interest in the sport.
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.
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“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.
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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.
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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.
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“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.
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