West Ham sign Niclas Füllkrug for £27m from Borussia Dortmund

West Ham have signed Germany striker Niclas Fullkrug from Borussia Dortmund for £27m. The 31-year-old, who joined Dortmund from Werder Bremen last summer, scored 15 goals in 46 games in 2023-24 and finished as a Champions League runner-up. He also netted twice during hosts Germany’s run to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals, despite not starting a match.

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Thiago Alcantara retires from football aged 33

Thiago Alcantara has retired from football after leaving Liverpool at the end of his contract. The former Spain midfielder, 33, was restricted to just one appearance during the 2023-24 season because of injury. Thiago had hip surgery towards the end of the 2022-23 season but was unable to return until February 2024, when he came on as a late substitute in a defeat at Arsenal and suffered another injury.

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Bayern Munich appoint Vincent Kompany as new head coach

Bayern Munich have appointed Vincent Kompany as their new head coach on a three-year deal. The Belgian, 38, succeeds Thomas Tuchel and leaves Burnley for the Bundesliga side after the two clubs agreed a compensation fee, believed to be in the region of €12m. His appointment comes after a prolonged process to find a replacement for Tuchel after several high profile managers turned down offers to take charge of the Bavarian giants.

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Bayer Leverkusen clinch maiden Bundesliga title with win over Werder Bremen

Bayer Leverkusen sealed a maiden Bundesliga title in style as Florian Wirtz’s hat-trick wrapped up a comfortable 5-0 win over Werder Bremen. Against a backdrop of expectation and cauldron of noise at the BayArena, Xabi Alonso’s side extended their unbeaten streak this season to 43 matches to end Bayern Munich’s run of 11 successive league titles.

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Xabi Alonso to stay at Bayer Leverkusen amid Liverpool interest

Xabi Alonso says he will remain in his role as Bayer Leverkusen manager next season as he believes the club is the “right place” to be as a young coach. The Spaniard had been heavily linked with the manager’s job at Liverpool since Jurgen Klopp said he would stand down at the end of the season. “I am convinced it is the right decision, I am happy,” said Alonso.

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