The Athletic FC Podcast

15-year-old Max Dowman has been the talk of Arsenal’s pre-season and 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha has shone for Liverpool. But can either break into the first team and when is too soon to get excited? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Stuart James and Jacob Tanswell Executive Producer: Abi Paterson Producer: Guy Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another chance to hear Anatomy of a Transfer, your one stop guide to how transfers happen. Join Adam Leventhal as he goes behind the scenes at training grounds, stadiums and offices to explain the anatomy of a transfer and to breakdown the complex process of what a player goes through when they move from club to club. Host: Adam Leventhal Exec Prod: Abi Paterson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Transfers that shook the world, a summer series for The Athletic FC looking back on the moves that sparked fury and saw heroes become villains. Today we’re heading back to July 2001, when Sol Campbell completed perhaps the most controversial move in Premier League history. More than 20 years on, why are feelings still so strong? And was Campbell vindicated in swapping Spurs for their bitter rivals Arsenal? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Amy Lawrence & Danny Kelly Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producers: Guy Clarke & Lucy Oliva Sound Design: Jay Beale Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Viktor Gyokeres is Arsenal’s new No.14. Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe and Cole Palmer have all switched to take the No.10 for their clubs. So, how significant is a squad number? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Jack Lang, Stu James, Pol Ballus Executive Producers: Adey Moorhead & Abi Paterson Producers: Jay Beale & Guy Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alexander Isak has refused to go on tour with Newcastle United and wants to leave. So who could afford him and do Newcastle have any chance of keeping him? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Chris Waugh and Carl Anka Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Guy Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Transfers that shook the world, a summer series for The Athletic FC looking back on the moves that sparked fury and saw heroes become villains. Today we’re heading back to July 2000 - when Luís Figo did the unthinkable and made the move from Barcelona to Real Madrid… It was a transfer that sent shockwaves through La Liga and went down in footballing folklore - but a quarter of a century later, how is it viewed now? And how pivotal was it in shaping the modern day Real Madrid? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Pol Ballús, José Antonio Espina & Andy Mitten Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producers: Guy Clarke and Lucy Oliva Sound Design: Jay Beale Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Thomas Frank era has officially begun at Spurs and they are busy. After landing Mohammed Kudus, Morgan Gibbs-White is next on the list. But will their recruitment strategy get results? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Jay Harris, Seb Stafford-Bloor Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Jay Beale Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marcus Rashford is set to sign for Barcelona in a loan deal, with an option to make it permanent, leaving his boyhood club Manchester United. So, is it a deal that suits everyone? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: David Ornstein, Carl Anka and Pol Ballus Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Guy Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Football Architects - a summer series from our friends over at the Athletic FC Tactics podcast, telling the the unsung tales behind modern football success stories. Episode one is focused on Ajax’s rebirth and how the club was rebuilt in the image of legendary figure Johan Cruyff. On this episode, we hear from Ruben Jongkind, former head of talent development at Ajax, and the club’s former head of talent recruitment, Jasper van Leeuwen. Every episode will also have a written piece on the website, which we will link below. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6445365/2025/07/03/football-architects-rebuilding-ajax-johan-cruyff/ The first three episodes of the five-part series are available to listen to right now, check it out wherever you get your podcasts. Host: Michael Bailey With: Jacob Whitehead and Liam Tharme Producer: Mike Stavrou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Transfers that shook the world, a summer series for The Athletic FC looking back on the moves that sparked fury and saw heroes become villains. Today we’re heading back to the summer of 2006, and a saga that saw rival lines crossed from the North to West of London as Ashley Cole traded boyhood club Arsenal for rising force Chelsea. So why was the acrimonious move considered such a betrayal? And how did the deal signify a power shift in capital as the blue side of London rose to prominence? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Simon Johnson & James McNicholas Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producers: Guy Clarke and Lucy Oliva Sound Design: Jay Beale Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Tuesday Liverpool made an approach to sign Alexander Isak. And now they have also made a move for Eintracht Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitike, who is also being targeted by Newcastle United. So could Liverpool get both? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: David Ornstein and James Pearce Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Jay Beale Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chelsea are the new Club World Cup champions beating Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Gianni Infantino says the competition has marked a new era for club football. But has the Club World Cup really been a success? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Adam Crafton and Phil Hay Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Guy Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Transfers that shook the world, a summer series for The Athletic FC looking back on the moves that sparked fury and saw heroes become villains. Today we’re heading back to July 2009 when Carlos Tevez swapped the red half of Manchester for blue. So why was the move quite so controversial - and how symbolic was it in shifting the balance of power in the hunt for Premier League dominance? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Andy Mitten & Oli Kay Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producers: Guy Clarke and Lucy Oliva Sound Design: Jay Beale Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Friday July 4th, news broke that former Arsenal midfielder, Thomas Partey had been charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. The allegations relate to three different women who reported the incidents which took place between 2021 and 2022. Police began investigations in February 2022 but Partey carried on playing for Arsenal until his contract expired on June 30. He denies all the allegations, and will appear in court on August 5. Arsenal say the player’s contract ended in June and they are unable to comment due to ongoing legal proceedings. We’ll discuss why it took so long to get here? Was it right that Arsenal let Partey play on? And how do fans feel about the situation? Read Sarah Shepherd's column here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marcus Rashford is one of five players Manchester United told didn’t need to report for the start of pre-season but showed up anyway. So where does his future lie - and how difficult will it be for United to move on their unwanted stars? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Mark Critchley and Phil Hay Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Guy Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arsenal are in advanced talks to sign Sporting striker Viktor Gyökeres. So what could the Swede offer Mikel Arteta’s side? And is he the missing piece in the title puzzle for the Gunners? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: David Ornstein, Carl Anka Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producers: Mike Stavrou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's been two football tournaments in the United States this summer, the Club World Cup and the Gold Cup. Both with an ostensible Saudi feel, all part of grand plan to invest heavily in sport backed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Adam Leventhal has travelled to Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas to witness this soft power at play. Hear from Saudi players and fans who celebrate the exposure afforded by these tournaments, but also, crucially, those who fear its impact. All with an eye on the future when Saudi Arabia will be hosting the 2034 Men's World Cup. Host: Adam Leventhal Producer: Jesse Howard Exec Producer: Abi Paterson Featuring footage from: DAZN, Fox News, CBS News, France 24 News, FIFA Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tony Evans, James Pearce and Simon Hughes reflect on the tragically sad news Liverpool forward Diogo Jota has died at the age of 28 along with his brother Andre Silva. The brothers were travelling by car in Spain when their vehicle left the carriageway and burst into flames in the early hours of Thursday morning. In this episode, we pay tribute to Diogo Jota sharing memories of the person and the player. The Athletic's Tim Spiers, who covered Wolverhampton Wanderers when Jota initially moved to England also shares his memories having interviewed him a number of times during his time at Molineux. Host: Tony Evans With: James Pearce, Simon Hughes and Tim Spiers Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Guy Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chelsea wanted to get the majority of their transfer business done by the end of June and they have been busy! Coming up we’ll break down the signings so far and find out who else could arrive at Stamford Bridge before the window closes. Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: David Ornstein, Simon Johnson Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producers: Mike Stavrou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Crystal Palace are battling to keep their Europa League place, while Lyon have been relegated to French football’s second tier. John Textor and his Eagle Football Group had stakes in both clubs last season. So is his multi-club ownership model to blame? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Matt Slater, Tom Williams and Matt Woosnam Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Guy Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.