Manchester United fans noticed something familiar about Dan Armer watching his performances on last season’s run to the FA Youth Cup final.

The way he carries himself, his mannerisms and even some of his movements on and off the ball remind many of Harry Maguire.

The comparison is an obvious one for an 18-year-old centre-back at United, particularly when Maguire is one of the senior-squad colleagues he can learn from. But the number of people making it has only increased during an impressive pre-season with the first team for this 18-year-old boyhood fan of the Old Trafford club.

Armer has played 136 minutes in four games across Europe for coach Michael Carrick’s side, including the second half against Leeds on Wednesday night in front of 82,000 fans at Dublin’s Croke Park, where he was defending against experienced Premier League striker and England international Dominic Calvert-Lewin. He also featured in the friendlies against Wrexham, Rosenborg and Atletico Madrid.

Maguire himself has described Armer’s showings this summer as “magnificent”.

“I think Dan’s been brilliant,” he told club media. “Eighteen years old, playing in tough games and playing for this club for the first time. He’s been magnificent at centre-back and, hopefully, he can continue to progress, keep enjoying working with us.”

High praise, and it will be well received.

The teenage Scot would love to follow in Maguire’s footsteps and one day be a first-team regular for United, and he is striving to make that a reality. Those close to him feel like it may be 18 months to two years before he can really push for regular starts at that level, which shows there is patience — important considering his position and the players in front of him.

Armer is a left-sided centre-back and is very highly thought of at United. For now, the focus is continuing his development, with the club keen to give him a pathway but without rushing him. The first-team coaching staff — including Carrick — were regular watchers from the stands as Darren Fletcher’s under-18s went all the way to the FA Youth Cup final last season.

They were impressed by Armer, and his performances helped them decide he deserved a chance to play alongside the senior players during this summer’s pre-season preparations.

Described as being incredibly well-mannered around the training ground, he is also very self-assured about his ability but aware of the need to work hard if he is going to progress to being a first-team regular. He often picks the brains of coaches and wants to do extra video analysis of his game to make improvements.

United’s senior players such as Bruno Fernandes, Luke Shaw, Mason Mount and Maguire are always working with the club’s youngsters when they come to join in first-team training, and it is no different with Armer. When he gets out on the pitches at Carrington with Maguire, he is particularly looking to learn from him as a player he looks up to.

Away from United, Armer watches other players in his position to try to learn his trade. A current favourite is Barcelona and Spain’s 19-year-old star Pau Cubarsi. The Scotland youth international may not be on as fast a track to the top as Cubarsi, but his development is being progressed.

Armer now stands at well over 6ft, having gone through a growth spurt in his early teens which gave him some issues with his stride pattern for around two years but is no longer a problem.

The past 24 months have seen his performances for the academy sides steadily improve.

For this upcoming season, he is expected to feature predominantly for the under-21s after turning out for them and the under-18s last time, but he will also be part of a group of young players who will be called up often to participate in first-team training when required or when it is felt they will benefit from it.

If a loan offer were to arrive, it may be considered if deemed suitable for his development, but the plan is for him to remain at United for now.

Adam Lawrence is currently working as under-21s manager and is a big admirer. United have yet to confirm a new deal for Lawrence, but it is expected he will stay in the role for the season ahead.

Recently, United announced nine academy players had signed their first professional contracts and there was some confusion as to why Armer was not on that list. However, The Athletic has been told he actually signed his pro papers last year.

There is currently a real optimism among United’s academy players that there is a proper path to the first team under Carrick’s coaching setup, and they feel if they impress they will get a chance.

Armer has really enjoyed his spell with the first team this summer and, in particular, going up against Calvert-Lewin last week when Leeds were eventually beaten on penalties following a 1-1 draw.

It may have been another warm-up game for the season, but given the size of the crowd in Dublin and coming off the bench at half-time to face a striker who has played at the top level with Everton and Leeds for a decade now and made 12 England appearances, Armer impressed.

It was another display that reflected the qualities he has shown for United’s academy sides. He was assured on the ball, happy to move it forward in possession and sharp defensively, covering back to block Calvert-Lewin at one stage as the striker threatened to get in behind.

Armer has also mixed well with first-team players at training throughout the pre-season. Yet there is still a realism that there is a big step from pre-season friendlies to playing regular Premier League football. Armer’s ambition is to get to the game’s highest level, and preferably to do so with United.

This summer has been an important step along that path and a real learning opportunity. Now he will look to build on it.

Excitement surrounding the new season is slowly growing among the West Ham United fanbase, but there are lingering issues that remain hard to ignore.

The east London side will start their first Championship campaign in 15 years against Burnley, who also suffered relegation from the Premier League in May. Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo is confident about their chances of sealing promotion back to the top flight at the first opportunity but, ahead of Sunday’s away fixture, there are several talking points.

For example, who is set to leave in the final two weeks of this transfer window? How likely is it that West Ham will address their lack of squad depth before the September 1 deadline? What’s the latest regarding the battle over the ownership of the club?

The Athletic has answered some of these questions.

How are West Ham shaping up ahead of their first game of the league season?

West Ham’s two victories this pre-season, against League Two side Colchester United and League One’s Stevenage, came behind closed doors at their Rush Green training ground. They also drew in friendlies against fifth-tier Southend United, Rangers of the Scottish Premiership and German second-division club FC Magdeburg.

Despite relegation, they have kept hold of club captain Jarrod Bowen, who committed his immediate future in July by signing a revised contract, while fellow key players Konstantinos Mavropanos in defence and Taty Castellanos up front are also expected to remain.

What does their opening run of fixtures look like? What are the big games to look forward to?

Although Sunday’s trip to Burnley could be a tough encounter, a positive omen for West Ham is they have not lost a league game against them in eight meetings since July 2020, winning five. Their first London derby of the season will be at home against Charlton Athletic on Saturday, August 22, before they make the short trip to Watford the following weekend.

Wolverhampton Wanderers, the third club to drop through the Premier League trapdoor last season, will visit Nuno’s side in a midweek encounter on September 1, and there will be fixtures against Derby County, Bolton Wanderers and Wrexham before West Ham reignite their bitter rivalry with south Londoners Millwall with an away game on Saturday, September 19.

The last encounter between the clubs was in February 2012, a Championship fixture which West Ham won 2-1 at Upton Park. Given the level of animosity between the fanbases, it is a fixture that has often been marred by crowd violence.

After the season’s first international break, West Ham will face another London side, Queens Park Rangers, on home soil on October 9. There will then be trips to Lincoln City and Swansea City before hosting familiar opposition in fellow former Premier League side Southampton.

The bad blood between West Ham and Sheffield United over the Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano saga has eased over the years, but the rivalry will reconvene in Yorkshire on December 4.

Which players’ futures are uncertain?

Centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo, striker Niclas Fullkrug and full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka are all expected to leave before the transfer window shuts in just over two weeks. Sources with knowledge of the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, say Todibo has only attracted loan interest, while it is West Ham’s preference to sell the 26-year-old.

Clubs on the continent have also enquired about signing Fullkrug, 33, on loan but West Ham intend to sell the Germany international, who joined for £27million from Borussia Dortmund in August 2024. Aston Villa have held exploratory talks over a deal to sign Wan-Bissaka. The Athletic reported in the Transfer DealSheet on July 7 that West Ham would be open to selling the 28-year-old former Manchester United right-back and have set an asking price of £25m.

Aston Villa are keen on Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

George Earthy was an unused substitute in the first-round Carabao Cup home win against Portsmouth last weekend. The 21-year-old midfielder has loan interest from EFL clubs, but his departure is contingent on potential incomings.

Maxwel Cornet was not in the matchday squad for that match, despite being fully fit. The Ivory Coast international forward has made just 37 appearances across all competitions since joining from Burnley for £17.5million in August 2022. Now 29, he has had loan spells at Southampton and Genoa (twice) in that time, but his next departure would be a permanent exit, if West Ham have their way.

Mohamadou Kante, 20, is set to stay, despite strong interest from clubs in France’s Ligue 1. The midfielder, whose valuation is in the region of £15million to £20m, started all the pre-season games and registered an assist against Portsmouth.

The long-term futures of his fellow midfielders Edson Alvarez, 28, and Soungoutou Magassa, 22, are unclear. Magassa, whose contract doesn’t expire until 2031 after arriving last summer for around £17.5million from Monaco of Ligue 1, has been absent from recent matchday squads due to a knock.

What do West Ham still need to do before the window shuts?

West Ham’s lack of depth was reflected in the Portsmouth game, with five young academy graduates — Earthy, Ezra Mayers, Kaelan Casey, Airidas Golambeckis and Joshua Ajala — on the nine-man bench.

They need to strengthen in central defence, in wide areas and up front. Mavropanos and Maximilian Kilman are the recognised first-choice centre-backs, with summer addition Joel Veltman also able to play that position as well as right-back. Bowen and Manor Solomon, a new signing from Tottenham Hotspur, are the only proven wingers currently available to Nuno, while Castellanos and Pablo are the main forward options.

West Ham are confident of completing a move for Scottish champions Celtic’s 22-year-old Belgium international midfielder or right-back Arne Engels in a deal worth around £22million, which would be their biggest outlay of the summer so far.

West Ham are looking to sign Celtic midfielder Arne Engels, who had five goals and three assists in 30 league games last season (Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

“We have to be patient,” Nuno said on Friday in his pre-Burnley press conference. “We want players with the right mindset. We don’t have much time, but we have to get it right.

“We are aware we need more bodies but, meanwhile, we have to be ready for everything. All the players who are here, they know what we think and expect. The window is open, so anything can happen.”

Following relegation, West Ham have cashed in on Mateus Fernandes, selling him to Tottenham for £85million, Crysencio Summerville went to Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal for just north of £60m and Freddie Potts has been sold to Club Brugge for a reported fee of around £10m.

What’s the latest on the ownership situation?

Earlier this month, Vanessa Gold said she had agreed to sell her 25.1 per cent stake to a consortium led by former Newcastle United co-owner Amanda Staveley.

Daniel Kretinsky, who bought 27 per cent of West Ham in 2021, had initially arranged to purchase shares from the Gold family in the wake of David Sullivan’s resignation as joint-chair in June following accusations of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour against women over several decades, and has since attempted to prevent Staveley’s deal from being completed.

The Czech billionaire still intends to become West Ham’s majority shareholder and discussions are ongoing.

La Liga is back this weekend, but not quite as you know it.

Six games are being played across the opening matchday — but the Spanish top flight’s two biggest clubs, Barcelona and Real Madrid, will not be in action.

Allow us to explain…

Who is playing in the opening La Liga weekend and who is not?

The opening game is Deportivo Alaves v Getafe today (Saturday) at 7.30pm local time (6.30pm UK, 1.30pm ET), with Sevilla hosting Rayo Vallecano later that evening.

Racing Santander will make their La Liga return on Sunday when Villarreal travel to their El Sardinero home ground, while Espanyol play Levante that day. Another historic club back in the division, Deportivo La Coruna,  welcome Elche on Monday, before Atletico Madrid face second-division play-off winners Malaga on Wednesday.

Racing Santander made an emotional return to La Liga (Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

Four matches from the opening gameweek have been pushed back to late August due to an agreement between La Liga and Spain’s players’ union, the AFE, which includes a mandatory break for all players whose international teams reached the World Cup semi-finals.

Spain reaching and winning the final against Argentina on July 19 means players such as Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid’s Marc Cucurella will not have games until at least the second weekend of the season.

When do Barcelona and Real Madrid actually start their seasons?

La Liga champions Barcelona begin the defence of their crown at Elche on Sunday, August 23, allowing the eight Barca players in Spain’s World Cup-winning squad more time to recover.

Jose Mourinho’s first game of his second spell as Madrid manager will be at Espanyol on Saturday, August 22.

What were supposed to be the Clasico duo’s first matches are now being played towards the end of the month — with Barca hosting Bilbao’s Athletic Club at the Camp Nou on Thursday, August 27, and Madrid taking on Real Sociedad at the Bernabeu on Wednesday, August 26.

Barcelona contributed eight players to Spain’s World Cup-winning squad (Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images)

Many top players involved in the World Cup have only returned to training in recent days — Yamal, Pedri, Dani Olmo and Pau Cubarsi had their first training session back at Barca on Wednesday.

The situation is similar in the capital. Cucurella was not involved in Madrid’s 1-0 friendly win against Deportivo La Coruna on Wednesday night, and nor were World Cup semi-finalists with England and France Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe and Aurelien Tchouameni, whose national teams were involved in the third-place play-off the day before the final.

When was this agreed and by who?

La Liga were firm in their stance that they wanted the 2025-26 season to start on August 15 — even though other top leagues around Europe are starting later this season. The Premier League kicks off on the following weekend of August 21, while Germany’s Bundesliga starts on August 28.

Spain’s players union AFE objected to the mid-August start, as players whose countries went deep into the World Cup would be denied the mandated time for both rest and pre-season within Spanish football’s government-sanctioned collective bargaining agreement.

Following months of debate, a proposal to ‘split’ the opening gameweek was unanimously agreed by La Liga’s club representatives on June 9, while the season calendar was approved at the Spanish football federation’s annual assembly on June 30 — although Madrid did not send representatives to either of these meetings.

The solution gave clubs whose players had reached the semi-finals of the World Cup the option to push their opening games back 10 days.

The staggered start to the campaign means that there will be La Liga fixtures played on all but one day between August 15 and 31.

Spreading the games so widely also helps with scheduling, as high temperatures in many Spanish cities during August mean evening kick-offs are necessary for health and safety reasons.

What about Atletico Madrid’s situation?

Atletico Madrid had more players than any other club taking part in the World Cup final, four with Spain (Alex Baena, summer signing Alejandro Grimaldo, Marcos Llorente and Marc Pubill) and five with Argentina (Julian Alvarez, Giuliano Simeone, goalkeeper Juan Musso, Nahuel Molina and Thiago Almada — although the latter two have since joined other clubs).

Julian Alvarez returned to Atletico Madrid training this week (Dennis Agyeman/Europa Press via Getty Images)

La Liga would have allowed Atletico’s opening game against Malaga to also have been pushed back to late August, but Canadian artist The Weeknd is set to play concerts at their Metropolitano stadium on the 28th, 29th and 30th of the month.

So Diego Simeone’s team will host Malaga on Wednesday. It remains to be seen if World Cup winners including Llorente and Baena will feature given they only returned to training seven days before their club season begins.

Argentina star Alvarez’s situation is also unclear, as a transfer saga with Barcelona rumbles on, although Atletico’s hierarchy continue to insist he is not for sale.

What about the rest of the clubs?

Real Betis midfielder Giovani Lo Celso was part of the Argentina squad that reached the World Cup final, so Betis’ game at Valencia has also been moved back to Tuesday, August 25.

Although Celta Vigo also had striker Borja Iglesias with Spain, the Galician club were set to kick off at home to Osasuna on the opening weekend.

But a disease affecting the turf at Vigo’s Estadio Balaidos has made the pitch unplayable for this weekend, so on Thursday La Liga announced that game was being pushed back to Thursday, August 27.