Image Credits: Imago Images
The FIFA World Cup 2026 will kick off today, Thursday June 11, with hosts Mexico taking on South Africa at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, getting underway at 8:00 PM BST.
It is the first-ever 48-team World Cup, and the buzz around it is impossible to ignore.
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With a showpiece event of that magnitude now dominating the headlines, it is hard to keep your eyes on club football.
The consensus around is that the majority of transfer business will slow down significantly over the coming weeks, with clubs opting to wait until the tournament concludes before finalising deals.
Liverpool fans should temper expectations of any major transfer news in the near future.
That said, not every club is pressing pause. Manchester City Women, the reigning WSL champions, appear determined to hit the ground running this summer, with BBC Sport reporting they have agreed a £500,000 deal to sign former Liverpool defender Niamh Charles from Chelsea.
Born on the Wirral in Merseyside, she grew up a lifelong Liverpool fan before joining the club a 14-year-old after impressing at open trials. She made her debut for the Reds as a 16-year-old in April 2016, going on to make 59 appearances and scoring 11 goals.
However, when Liverpool was relegated from the WSL at the end of the COVID-curtailed 2019/20 season, Charles made the difficult decision to leave and joined joining Chelsea.
It was a move that transformed her career.
Under Emma Hayes at Stamford Bridge, the Merseyside-born forward was redeployed as a full-back, going on to win multiple WSL titles, FA Cups, and League Cups, as well as earning 34 England caps and a Euros winners’ medal.
Meanwhile, Liverpool Women confirmed that three players left the club in Jennifer Falk, Risa Shimizu, and Martha Thomas, all of whom will return to their respective parent clubs after their loan spells during the 2025/26 season.