Sunderland vs Fulham pre-match centre

Chelsea's 3-2 win at Fulham under new manager Xabi Alonso, sparked by a mature Cole Palmer display, offers early evidence that a summer of experienced signings can fix last season's 11-red-card discipline crisis. But reports that Enzo Fernández wants to leave for Manchester City suggest the club's leadership problem isn't solved yet.

Wrexham are closing in on Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson in a deal talkSPORT reports has been agreed at £8m, a fee that could break the Welsh club's transfer record. The move signals fresh ambition under Phil Parkinson and could trigger exits for incumbents Arthur Okonkwo and Danny Ward.

Fulham have agreed a £30m deal for Southampton's Shea Charles, making him the most expensive Northern Ireland footballer ever, as Álvaro Arbeloa's youth-focused rebuild continues. This roundup also covers Trevoh Chalobah's reunion with Cesc Fàbregas at Como, Gustavo Hamer's return to Coventry, and Idrissa Gueye's move to Saudi Arabia.

Fulham have signed Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios from Real Madrid on five-year deals, reuniting both with new manager Alvaro Arbeloa. The move equals Fulham's club-record fee and raises questions about whether Garcia's modest La Liga output justifies the outlay.

Fulham are paying €40m for Real Madrid's Gonzalo García and €10m for César Palacios in deals brokered by new head coach Álvaro Arbeloa's old Bernabéu ties. The García fee equals Fulham's club transfer record, despite the striker making most of his appearances from the bench last season.

Joe Gomez was forced off after just eight minutes of Andoni Iraola's first game as Liverpool manager, leaving two 18-year-old debutants to marshal the defence in a 4-2 preseason win over Sunderland. With Van Dijk rested, Jacquet eased in and Leoni still recovering from an ACL tear, Iraola's admission that his squad is 'very thin' defensively now looks prophetic.