NB II Overview

Benfica have made Joao Palhinha their top midfield target after Tottenham decided not to trigger their option to sign him permanently from Bayern Munich. Marco Silva is keen to reunite with the Portugal international, while the club is assessing whether the deal is financially feasible.

The Bundesliga returns on August 28 and we pick out four bets for Matchday 1, from goals in Munich and Dortmund to home wins for Mainz and Leipzig.

All the 2026-27 kits in one place

Newcastle have reached a comprehensive agreement with Freiburg to secure the signing of highly-rated Switzerland midfielder Johan Manzambi for a package worth over £50 million. The Magpies have successfully stolen a march on Premier League rivals Aston Villa, who were heavily monitoring the youngster before the Tyneside club moved into pole position.