Wrexham’s spending moved into a new stratosphere Thursday when the team owned by Hollywood celebrities signed forward Nathan Broadhead from Ipswich in a club-record deal that sources confirmed to ESPN could reach £10 million ($13.50 million).
Wrexham will pay £7.5 million up front, plus an additional £2.5 million in potential add-ons, sources said.
The 27-year-old Wales international has signed a four-year contract at STōK Cae Ras subject to international clearance.
It takes the Welsh club’s outlay in the transfer market to more than £20 million ($27 million) in this window as Wrexham reshape their squad for life in the second-tier Championship following an unprecedented three straight promotions.
The Red Dragons have tracked Broadhead for several weeks, and the move accelerated after Ipswich signed Chuba Akpom from Ajax.
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Broadhead was in the final year of his contract at Ipswich, having joined them on a three-and-a-half-year deal from Everton for £1.5 million in January 2023.
Bangor-born Broadhead was in the Wrexham youth system before joining Everton at the age of 10.
“I’m delighted to welcome Nathan to the Club, he’s a local boy who had a real desire to come and play for his hometown Club,” Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said in a statement.
“We’re all looking forward to working with him in the coming seasons.”
England defender Conor Coady and New Zealand international Liberato Cacace. Lewis O’Brien also joined from Nottingham Forest for what was reportedly a club-record fee of around £3 million ($4 million).
Broadhead is Wrexham’s ninth signing since they were promoted from League One last season.
He has won 14 caps for Wales, scoring twice, and would join international teammates Danny Ward and Kieffer Moore at the STōK Cae Ras.
“It’s been a long time coming and I’m delighted to join the Club,” Broadhead said.
“Belief is going to be the biggest thing for us this season. We want to get everyone from North Wales down to the STōK Cae Ras and to show that belief in us.”
Wrexham started their Championship campaign last weekend with a 2-1 loss at Southampton after conceding two late goals.
Information from ESPN’s Tom Hamilton, PA and The Associated Press was used in this report.
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The world’s most-watched soccer league returns this week with what looks set to be the most competitive English Premier League season in recent memory.
Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch Premier League games as they happen, wherever you are in the world, and how to use a VPN if it’s not available where you are.
Despite ending last season with a clear 10-point lead, Liverpool comes into this new campaign with a significantly overhauled squad. Big-money summer signings Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Hugo Ekitiké and Florian Wirtz replace the outgoing Trent Alexander-Armstrong, Darwin Núñez and Luis Díaz.
Having seen its recent dominance upended with a surprisingly meek campaign last time out, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City has also dipped heavily into the transfer market this summer, with left back Rayan Ait-Nouri, goalkeeper James Trafford, Dutch midfielder Tijjani Reijnders and exciting French winger Rayan Cherki all brought in.
Winner of this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup, Chelsea will be seen by many as one of Liverpool’s main threats, while London rivals Arsenal will be hopeful of finally going one step further after three successive second-place finishes, having added significant reinforcements, too.
Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland join the league this year, with the northern trio aiming to defy the growing pattern of promoted teams tumbling straight back to the Championship.
Kicking off with the opening fixture of Liverpool vs. Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday, Aug. 14 (kickoff is at 12 p.m. PT, 3 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. BST and 5 a.m. AEST), the new season runs until the final fixtures on Sunday, May 24, 2026.
Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch game lives wherever you are in the world.
Since the Premier League began in 1992, just seven clubs have claimed England’s top-flight crown: Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Leicester City and Blackburn Rovers.
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How to watch the Premier League 2025-26 season in the US without cable
For viewers in the US, watching the Premier League is much the same as last season. EPL fixtures will once gain be broadcast across linear channels NBC and USA Network along with streaming service Peacock. The vast majority of fixtures will be shown exclusively on Peacock, for which you’ll need a Peacock Premium or Premium Plus account to catch games live.
Peacock offers two Premium plans, and after recent price increases, the ad-supported Premium plan costs $11 a month, and the ad-free Premium Plus plan costs $17 a month.
As was the case with last season, one or more of each weekend’s games will be shown live on USA Network, which you can access as part of your cable package or at the NBC Sports website with a valid login, and can be streamed via Sling TV and other more expensive streaming TV services.
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Sling TV’s Blue plan includes USA Network making it a great option for those wanting to watch Premier League action. It’s $46 a month and includes over 40 channels, including other sports channels like ESPN and FS1.
Read our Sling TV review.
How to watch the Premier League 2025-26 from anywhere with a VPN
If you’re traveling abroad and want to keep up with all the EPL action while away from home, a VPN can help enhance your privacy and security when streaming.
It encrypts your traffic and prevents your internet service provider from throttling your speeds, and can also be helpful when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks while traveling, adding an extra layer of protection for your devices and logins. VPNs are legal in many countries, including the US and Canada, and can be used for legitimate purposes such as improving online privacy and security.
However, some streaming services may have policies restricting VPN use to access region-specific content. If you’re considering a VPN for streaming, check the platform’s terms of service to ensure compliance.
If you choose to use a VPN, follow the provider’s installation instructions, ensuring you’re connected securely and in compliance with applicable laws and service agreements. Some streaming platforms may block access when a VPN is detected, so verifying if your streaming subscription allows VPN usage is crucial.
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ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It’s normally $13 a month, but if you sign up for an annual subscription for $100 you’ll get three months free and save 49%. That’s the equivalent of $6.67 a month.
Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
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Livestream the Premier League 2025-26 season in the UK
While the 3 p.m. blackout ban on Saturday afternoon fixtures still remains in place, viewers in the UK will nevertheless have the opportunity to watch significantly more EPL fixtures this season.
Live broadcast rights for the Premier League in the UK are split between Sky Sports and TNT Sports for this season, with the number of games being shown by Sky up from 128 to a minimum of 215 matches. That boost in fixtures largely comes from the network now having the rights to show almost every game on a Sunday, with Sky introducing a new Multiview option to accommodate games being played simultaneously.
TNT will once again air 52 matches live over the course of the season, including the vast majority of Saturday lunchtime kickoffs. However Amazon, which broadcast 20 matches last term, no longer holds live rights to show games in the UK.
If you already have Sky Sports as part of your TV package, you can stream its coverage of matches via its Sky Go app, but cord-cutters will want to get set up with a Now account, and a Now Sports membership, to stream games.
Now TV
Sky’s standalone streaming service Now offers access to Sky Sports channels with a Now Sports membership. You can get a day of access for £15, or sign up to a monthly plan from £35 a month right now.
TNT Sports
TNT Sports will be offering a sizable 52 matches exclusively live this season to viewers in the UK. You can access TNT Sports via Sky Q as a TV package, as well as the option of streaming online. It costs £31 either way and comes in a package that includes Discovery Plus’ library of documentary content.
Livestream Premier League 2025-26 season matches in Canada
If you want to stream EPL games live in Canada this season, you’ll need to subscribe to Fubo. The service has exclusive rights to the Premier League once again.
Fubo
Fubo is the go-to destination for Canadians looking to watch the EPL, with exclusive streaming rights to every match. It currently costs CA$27 for the first month, then CA$31.50 per month from then on.
Livestream Premier League 2025-26 season matches in Australia
There’s a bit of a shakeup for football fans Down Under looking to watch Premier League fixtures this season. WIth Optus Sports having shut down, livestreaming rights for the EPL are now with Stan Sport, which will be showing all 380 matches live.
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Stan Sport will set you back AU$20 a month (on top of a Stan subscription, which starts at AU$12). It’s also worth noting that the streaming service is currently offering a seven-day free trial.
A subscription will also give you access to Premier League, Champions League and Europa League action, as well as international rugby and Formula E.
Quick tips for streaming the Premier League using a VPN
With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming EPL matches may vary.
If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.
reported by the Adelaide News, the pair devised a scheme for Hirayama to place bets on Danzaki to receive yellow cards in A-League matches this year.
Danzaki deliberately received a yellow card for reckless tackles during two matches while playing for Western United. The first was against Sydney FC on April 27 and the second against Adelaide United on May 9.
Bets were also placed on Danzaki to receive a yellow card in a match against Auckland City on May 3. However, despite making two dangerous tackles in the 64th and 67th minutes, he only received warnings from the referee. He was then substituted in the 72nd minute, but his replacement, Abel Walatee, went on to receive a yellow card and sports betting platform bet365 paid out on the bet.
Prosecutor Alex Turner noted: “There is no allegation or suggestion Mr. Walatee was complicit or involved in the offending.”
As a result of the winning bets, the players were reported to have won nearly AU$16,000 ($10,000).
Players Arrested After Suspicions Raised
Suspicions had been raised, however, and police were notified of suspicious betting activity on May 21. The pair then attempted to place another bet of AU$1000 ($650) on a May 24 match, which was rejected.
After the Victoria Police’s Sporting Integrity Intelligence Unit launched an investigation, the two men were arrested on May 30 and provided “full admissions” to the crime. Danzaki, though, initially heard the charges without entering a plea in July.
Danzaki ‘Profoundly Ashamed, Embarrassed, and Remorseful’
Danzaki’s lawyer, Lewis Winter, told the court that his client was “profoundly ashamed, embarrassed, and remorseful.” Danzaki has built a relatively successful professional career, which is now at risk due to the charges.
Winter added: “He accepts he’s undermined the integrity of the A-league competition and he’s undermined the integrity of these gambling markets. My client recognises he’s made a mistake which will have implications, perhaps severe implications, for his sporting career.”
Danzaki first moved to Australia in 2020, playing for the Brisbane Roar before signing with Western United in 2023. Winter said the club’s financial troubles led to his client’s “very foolish” and “out of character” actions.
Western United had their A-League license revoked last weekend over financial problems that led to the club not paying players on time.
Sentencing Coming, but Magistrate Won’t Impose Jail Time
Danzaki’s co-conspirator, Hirayama, also claimed financial problems had contributed to his involvement in the spot-fixing. Hirayama has had a less successful career and was plying his trade at the amateur level in Victoria, while supplementing his limited income by working as a food delivery driver.
An injury that left him unable to play soccer for two months in March was the catalyst for the scheme to make money with Danzaki. The 27-year-old’s lawyer, Molly Deighton, said it is unlikely he will ever play professional soccer after the charges. A lengthy ban from soccer is more likely to affect Danzaki, who, at 25 years old, still had the potential to play professionally for years to come.
However, Magistrate Nick Goodenough indicated that the two men would not face jail time for the offenses. They will be sentenced on August 22.
The case is similar to the recent spot-fixing allegations against Premier League player Lucas Paqueta. West Ham’s Brazilian midfielder, however, was cleared of the charges after a two-year case, during which he maintained his innocence. It had been rumored that Paqueta would be given a lifetime ban from the sport, and a potential transfer to Manchester City was cancelled as a result of the investigation.
Minnesota United FC today announced its founding group of Alliance Program members. The Alliance Program is designed to drive the development of soccer in the Upper Midwest through coaching education, collaboration, and community building. Today, 34 clubs and organizations are officially members of the Alliance Program, with programming set to begin during the upcoming Autumn season.
“We are very excited to launch the Alliance Program this Fall,” said MNUFC Head of Youth Camps and Clinics, Scott Macleod. “It will provide a fantastic opportunity for organizations involved in many different areas of youth soccer to collaborate and learn from each other. We are looking forward to hosting representatives from these organizations at our training ground in Blaine for various coach education events throughout the year, involving many different members of the Minnesota United sporting department.”
Below is the list of 34 clubs and organizations that make up the founding group of Alliance Program members, listed alphabetically:
Brainerd Soccer Club
Breakaway Academy
BV United
CC United
Cottage Grove United Soccer Club
Edison High School Girls Soccer
Force Soccer Club
Grand Rapids Area Soccer Club
Great River Soccer Club
Hastings Sharks
I Got Skills
Karen Football Association
Kickers FC
Lakes United FC
Lakeville Soccer Club
Minnesota Rush
Minnesota Thunder Academy
New Richmond Soccer Club
North District Flyway Soccer
North East United Soccer Club
Park Valley United FC
Pitz FC
River Falls Reds FC
Saint Paul Blackhawks
Somali American Youth Enrichment Club
Ten Thousand Lakes Foundation
Tonka Fusion Elite
Tonka United SA
United FC Rush
Vantage FC
Waseca Soccer Club
Wave Soccer Club
Webster FC
Wisconsin United Football Club
The Alliance Program is a free, collaborative initiative that provides a number of best practices, materials, and resources to local youth clubs and organizations across the Twin Cities, greater Minnesota, and the Upper Midwest region. These resources – dedicated to providing high-quality guidance on overall soccer methodology – will be available for member clubs at no cost to them. Some examples of those resources are the ability to observe First Team, Second Team and Academy practice sessions, as well as an opportunity to have direct touchpoints with technical and coaching staff.
More information, including a web page for clubs and organizations to submit inquiries to become members of the Alliance Program, can be found at this web page HERE.
The club announced in April its new Youth Development Programming, which includes the Alliance Program. For more information on the complete new Youth Development Programming, visit this web page HERE.
About Minnesota United FC:
Professional soccer has been a part of Minnesota for over four decades, and since 2013, Minnesota United FC has been at the forefront of growing the game at all levels. MNUFC currently competes in three different levels established by Major League Soccer: Minnesota United FC (MLS), MNUFC2 (MLS NEXT Pro), and the MNUFC Academy (MLS NEXT). Allianz Field – constructed in 2019 in the Midway neighborhood of Saint Paul, Minnesota – is the home to Minnesota United games, and the club trains at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minnesota. The 2025 season is MNUFC’s ninth season with MLS.
A regional South Australian soccer player has made the rare leap onto the European stage, signing a professional contract at the age of 18.
Mount Gambier midfielder Bae Versace has signed with FK Budućnost Podgorica in the capital of Montenegro, after several years in Adelaide United’s system.
The European club’s senior team has won six Montenegrin First League championships, with its youth side taking part in the UEFA Youth League alongside the continent’s best teams including Barcelona, Liverpool and Real Madrid.
Versace said heading over to Europe had been more of a dream than a goal for him.
“I was just focused on playing at Adelaide United and trying to make my debut there,” he said.
“But when an offer comes from Europe you don’t want to turn it down because you might not get that opportunity again.“
Versace started his career with Inter SC in Mount Gambier when he was 8. (Supplied: Mark Versace)
Versace said he was settling into life in the Balkans.
“Food and language are definitely the main two I’m getting used to,” he said.
“I came here and had people greeting me out the front of the club and had meetings with the club. And the boys have all been very good to me.”
Long path to Europe
Versace played a season as a junior at International Soccer Club in Mount Gambier before moving to MetroStars in Adelaide and being selected in United’s junior teams.
Melbourne-based coach Neb Stojkovic worked with Versace from a young age and helped him secure trials in Europe.
“For them, football is a way of living … so they do it with a purpose and everyone is fighting for that next level, and that contract, in the seniors,” he said.
“For Bae it’s a great opportunity to measure himself.”
Nick Morony was one of Versace’s coaches when he played for Inter’s under-12s at just eight years old.
“He lived and breathed everything soccer,” he said.
“When he wasn’t doing homework he was out kicking the soccer ball or working on some of the drills we used to do.“
Inter SC players Nick Morony, Matthew Bueti and Caleb Casey at the club’s home, Casadio Park. (ABC South East SA: Josh Brine)
Improving opportunities for regions
Versace is thought to be the second Mount Gambier-born player to crack the European game after ex-Socceroo Josip Skoko, who started playing in the town before moving to Geelong at the age of nine.
Versace said his young career showed country athletes had paths to become professionals.
“I don’t think they have to look up to me in any way, but I don’t see why they can’t make the high levels,”
he said.
Versace developed in Adelaide United’s youth system. (Supplied: Mark Versace)
Mr Stojkovic said federations and coaches should work together to improve talent identification for regional players.
“We should go out and dig for them, they should not be short of opportunities,” he said.
Football SA Limestone Coast regional development officer Nathan Koopman said federations were working to improve the pathways.
“If we find a player that’s of a level to go higher we know we can have them [initiating] conversations and building relationships with coaches in the city,” he said.
“When they do make that call to relocate they can then do it with a bit of confidence.
“Of course it’s very exciting to look at the best players in the world and their stories as inspiration, but I think it’s just as valuable — if not more so — to be able to speak to someone who came from your town, that they can see this is possible.”
The 2025-26 LaLiga season kicks off this weekend exclusively on ESPN’s family of networks and digital platforms. On Friday, Girona host Rayo Vallecano in the season opener, followed by Villarreal welcoming Real Oviedo. Both showdowns are available on ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes. The action continues on Saturday, as Barcelona take on Mallorca on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+ and Disney+. Three matchups headline Sunday’s action. Celta Vigo host Getafe, Athletic Club face Sevilla, and Espanyol clash with Atlético Madrid. All three contests are available on ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes. The latter will also air on ESPN2.
Here are key facts about ESPN’s coverage of the 2025-26 LaLiga opening weekend:
What is the schedule?
*All times Eastern
Friday, Aug. 15
Girona vs. Rayo Vallecano: 12:50 p.m. on ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes
Villarreal vs. Real Oviedo: 3:20 p.m. on ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes
Saturday, Aug. 16
Mallorca vs. Barcelona: 1 p.m. on ESPN2, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes and Disney+
Sunday, Aug. 17
Celta Vigo vs. Getafe: 10:50 a.m. on ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes
Athletic Club vs. Sevilla: 1:20 p.m. on ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes
Espanyol vs. Atlético Madrid: 3 p.m. on ESPN2, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes
How can fans watch?
Fans can catch all the action in the LaLiga streaming hub.
How can fans access more soccer content from ESPN?
Check out the ESPN soccer hub page for the latest news, analysis, scores, schedules and more.
