It has been a blockbuster summer transfer window for Real Madrid, who have reinforced their backline with the additions of Denzel Dumfries, Marc Cucurella, and Ibrahima Konate.

Not only that, Los Blancos have added Carlos Espi and Bernardo Silva to their attack, too - but the marquee arrival is without question Yan Diomande.

One year on from leaving Leganes for RB Leipzig, Diomande returns to the Spanish capital with Real Madrid reportedly paying an initial €125 million plus €15 million in bonuses. But is the 19-year-old winger worth the investment? His former coach Todd Eason certainly thinks so.

Is Yan Diomande worth the price Real Madrid are paying?

"I see everyone in the media saying, 'Is he worth $100 million?' I think he is.

"Even though he doesn't have as much experience, he's going to be a guy that's going to continue to increase his value, as he continues to mature and get that experience," stated Eason in an exclusive FourFourTwo interview.

Born into poverty in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, Diomande always knew that a professional football career was going to be the way he supported his family.

It's why he left home at nine years old, playing on the dirt pitches of the Académie Inter Foot Sud Comoé. At 15, Diomande flew to Florida by himself and joined DME Academy, acknowledging the professional pathway was more than likely closed to him if he stayed in Africa.

Despite battling homesickness and being one of the few players on Eason's team who didn't speak English, Diomande adjusted seamlessly to life in American soccer.

He won the amateur United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) national title and the UPSL Playoffs Golden Boot by scoring in all six rounds of the playoffs, going on to earn 2023 STARI Player of the Year honours.

Unable to find a new club, Diomande was forced to return to the Ivory Coast before eventually attracting the interest of Leganes, who signed him in November 2024. Diomande made his professional debut four months later, playing 10 times and doing enough to convince Leipzig to trigger his €20m release clause.

It proved a savvy investment, with Diomande leading Leipzig to a top-three Bundesliga finish and Champions League qualification with 13 goals and 10 assists in 36 appearances.

The Bundesliga Rookie of the Season then returned to North America to take part in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, delivering a Man of the Match display versus Ecuador and bagging an assist in a must-win victory against Curacao.

While he was unable to steer his country past Norway in their first-ever World Cup knockout match, Diomande proved himself in the biggest competition in sport. It's no real surprise then, that Real have spent heavily on the 19-year-old.

While Rodrygo is sidelined with an ACL injury, Diomande has the potential to lock down a starting spot on the right side of attack alongside Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, and Kylian Mbappe.

As opposed to other potential options on the right flank like Arda Guler, Brahim Diaz, and Federico Valverde, Diomande is a natural winger with pace and panache who can beat his man by cutting inside as well as bursting towards the touchline.

"Obviously, you saw him in LaLiga, and once he got going, he was a standout all of a sudden, and then in the Bundesliga, everybody knew his name," Eason tells FFT. "It's scary to think what his ceiling's going to be. That's the hard thing, and now he's going to be on a team that he's not going to have to carry.

"I'm excited to see what comes of it because I never was able to challenge him enough here, and it didn't look like Leganes could challenge him enough.

"I think we're going to see elements of his game that we probably haven't seen, because he's just going to be one of the guys now, instead of the focal point of the team that he's on."

Two years after plying his trade under Eason, Diomande is now honing his talents under Jose Mourinho, who has returned to the Santiago Bernabeu after 13 years. He'll be looking to follow in the footsteps of compatriots Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou, who took significant strides under Mourinho during their time at Chelsea.

He may have been born in the Ivory Coast. He may have debuted in Spain. He may have broken onto the scene in Germany. But if it wasn't for his chapter in the United States, Yan Diomande might have never unlocked his potential and emerged as one of the most promising wingers in world football.

Would Yan Diomande be a good signing for Real Madrid? Tell us in the comments below

Reports indicate that last season's Premier League runners-up have identified Lille youngster Ayyoub Bouaddi as the Spaniard's long-term successor at the Etihad Stadium.

With Rodri nearing a return to LaLiga with Barcelona, Manchester City’s recruitment team have moved swiftly to ensure their engine room suffers no lasting void.

According to reports from The Athletic and French publication L'Equipe, City have begun discussions to secure Bouaddi's signature.

One in, one out at the Etihad Stadium - but are Bouaddi and Rodri like-for-like?

At just 18 years old, 'The Boy's A Bit Special' alumnus Bouaddi has established himself as one of the more complete deep-lying playmakers in European football.

Having broken into Lille’s senior setup at the age of 16, the Moroccan international has drawn positive reviews for his press-resistance and passing range from the base of midfield.

His standout performances in Ligue 1 and the UEFA Champions League have led Manchester City to position themselves at the front of the queue.

Man City’s recruitment structure are said to view Bouaddi as a talented potential successor to Rodri. Replacing a Ballon d'Or and World Cup winner like Rodri is no easy task, but City’s proactive manoeuvre suggests they're in a position to bring a similar calibre of player to the Etihad Stadium.

Rather than seeking a short-term, potentially costly stopgap, the club are choosing to invest heavily in a long-term solution that can grow with the new iteration of this Man City team in the post-Guardiola era.

While Rodri’s anticipated departure to Catalonia marks the end of a trophy-laden chapter in Manchester, securing Bouaddi ensures the club remain well-prepared for the future. If Rodri's £60 million transfer reaches its expected conclusion, it would greenlight Bouaddi's move, leaving the Etihad faithful to witness the arrival of Europe's next top-level midfield anchor.

Bruno Guimaraes is closing in on a £75 million move to Arsenal, ending a transfer saga that has punctuated the summer window.

However, the Brazilian midfielder’s departure from Tyneside was set in motion long before formal negotiations between the two clubs took place.

FourFourTwo understand Guimaraes informed Newcastle as early as January that he would like to leave the club in the summer.

Bruno Guimaraes to complete Arsenal move

While external speculation suggested Arsenal’s interest only gathered momentum deep into the summer, Guimaraes' exit roadmap began at the start of the year.

Despite making his intentions clear to the Newcastle hierarchy in January, the 28-year-old remained committed on the pitch, captaining the team and performing with trademark intensity throughout the remainder of the 2025/26 campaign.

Newcastle officials were initially hopeful of convincing their captain to sign a new contract. However, with the club unable to offer European football for the upcoming season, Guimaraes viewed an exit as his preference.

It is widely reported the Brazilian deems his Gunners switch as the final opportunity to consistently compete for domestic and European trophies.

When incoming manager Matthias Jaissle met with Guimaraes at Newcastle's pre-season camp in La Manga, he respectfully reiterated his desire. The conversation was reportedly cordial, and Newcastle subsequently accepted Arsenal's £75m package.

Since the turn of the year it had become apparent in Newcastle circles that marquee members of Eddie Howe's squad had one eye on the exit door at St. James' Park.

The team were struggling in the league and looked unlikely to clinch European football, and so conversations between players and their agents began taking place. Guimaraes was one of a number who privately communicated their wish to be granted a move.

For Arsenal, signing Guimaraes provides Mikel Arteta with a battle-tested midfielder capable of adding steel and swagger to their engine room.

His press-resistant traits, ball progression, tenacity, and tactical intelligence will alleviate the burden carried by Declan Rice over recent campaigns.

Upon the completion of medical tests, Guimaraes will complete his long-awaited switch to the capital.

Arsenal and Chelsea doing business with one another used to be on just one condition: “only if we have to”.

The London rivals didn't actually negotiate a deal until 2006, and the highly contentious cross-capital switch of Ashley Cole from north to west – with William Gallas thrown into the deal for good measure.

Even in 2015, there was an extreme reluctance from Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho to accept Arsenal's move for Petr Cech – but it had been promised by owner Roman Abramovich.

Times have changed: Arsenal and Chelsea could do business yet again this summer

By 2018, the Gunners were struggling to qualify for the Champions League and Chelsea were faring a lot better – meaning that Olivier Giroud left N5 for SW6 with a fraction of the bad blood that came with Cesc Fabregas' move, via Barcelona, of course.

David Luiz in the opposite direction wasn't seen as strengthening a rival either, followed by Willian on a free from the Blues to the Gunners – while in recent seasons, it's been Chelsea rebuilding and Arsenal taking their used parts, with manager Mikel Arteta making a signing in every year of BlueCo's ownership.

Often it makes sense for Arsenal to shop in West London: Chelsea have a recent history of stockpiling talent, developing them in the Premier League and are willing to listen to offers for players of a certain level that would be way more expensive elsewhere.

That was certainly the case for Kai Havertz, a player who was nowhere near his prime but had already scored in a Champions League final and who certainly strengthened Arsenal in a problem position – and Noni Madueke, who had shown plenty of promise and was available for a good price and good wages, especially when compared to others on the market at the time.

Kepa Arrizabalaga, Jorginho and Raheem Sterling, meanwhile, were market opportunities – and while it's debatable how successful each has been, they did all at least provide experience and cover for very little expense.

Simply put, Arsenal would have been quoted at least £80 million for a starting target man from most clubs, but got Havertz for around £60m: Madueke went for a similar fee to Anthony Elanga, and Chelsea spent nine figures replacing Jorginho with Enzo Fernandez.

So given that, yet again, Chelsea are looking at trimming a 41-man squad, it makes sense for Arsenal to do their rivals another favour.

There are contenders – but Josh Acheampong could be Arsenal's best bet to buy from Chelsea

This is Chelsea, and only a handful of their squad – not even including all their new signings, hilariously – are untouchable.

Arsenal need a left-winger (as is well broadcast) and cover on the right side of defence, while they would likely be open to opportunities across the pitch: it wouldn't exactly be a shock for Arteta to rekindle a desire to revive Mykhailo Mudryk's career, there was historic interest in Jamie Gittens, while Nicolas Jackson feels like a very Arsenal signing all over.

Really though, the opportunities lie at the back, following new manager Xabi Alonso's comments that his collection of nine centre-backs needs reducing to “four or five”.

In terms of those who can replace either William Saliba or Jurrien Timber, Malo Gusto is valued at £75m amid interest from Manchester City; Wesley Fofana has had his injury problems; Trevoh Chalobah looks to be leaving for Como; and either the jury is still out or we haven't seen enough of Tosin Adarabioyo, Mamadou Sarr and Aaron Anselmino; Reece James, meanwhile, is as unsellable as you get.

Which leaves Josh Acheampong, who is still just 20, able to cover both right-back and centre-back, and would fit the bill technically and tactically of what Arteta demands from a player in that area of the pitch.

The BBC noted in June that the defender really is viewed within the “untouchable” bracket at the club, and that Arsenal were among a throng of English clubs interested in the England youth international – but with the transfer window approaching the endgame, the move makes a lot of sense for all involved.

Chelsea need to offload before the window ends, having spent big again, and though pure profit sales perhaps aren't as golden as they once were for the Blues, they could collect a good fee for a player who doesn't have a clear future – and who reportedly wants to leave the club to develop elsewhere.

Arsenal, meanwhile, have a very clear hierarchy with Timber and Saliba as the established first-choice options in their respective positions, but it makes sense to bring in someone who could potentially challenge either within three years, while adding quality in depth now.

FourFourTwo understands that rather like Gusto, Tino Livramento is valued at around £75m, too: so could spending slightly less on Acheampong could be looked back upon as sensible business in five years' time with inflation?

Manchester United are chasing yet another cost-effective signing.

The Red Devils have enjoyed a frugal summer, completing the likes of Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos while shunning the opportunity to pay bigger bucks for Matheus Fernandes – and that trend could well continue.

Manager Michael Carrick is hoping to add a little more depth to his squad this month, as Manchester United return to the Champions League and look to compete on four fronts once more.

Manchester United to move for Jhon Lucumi - in another cut-price transfer

According to Corriere di Bologna in Italy via Sport Witness, United are weighing up a move for £21.7 million defender Jhon Lucumi.

Chelsea are also in the race for the Colombian, who starred at the World Cup, while Juventus have an agreement in place with the 28-year-old but haven't met Bologna's modest demands.

United, meanwhile, would reportedly be happy to simply pay the asking price for the player, while Bournemouth, Sunderland and Nottingham Forest have all been credited with interest this summer, too, with the report describing Lucumi's exit as “inevitable”.

With Bournemouth having tied up a deal for Antonio Silva and Forest still chasing Ousmane Diomande, however, United have a clear run and can offer Champions League football – something Chelsea can't – though they, too, have other targets.

Giorgio Scalvini has been linked with a move in recent days, with the fellow Serie A stopper capable of stepping into midfield, which may interest Michael Carrick.

FourFourTwo understand that United have also been credited with an interest in fellow Bologna man, Jonathan Rowe, with the Red Devils exploring moves to improve their frontline as well as their defence.

With the BBC confirming that Tielemans cost just £35m and Santos £48m, United have spent just £83m in the transfer market since returning to the top table of European football – but will no doubt have to spend more to improve their squad.

Moves for Lewis Hall and Ismaila Sarr have both been explored, with owners INEOS looking to operate within a tighter wage structure.

Lucumi's contract expires next year, forcing Bologna's hand into a sale before they lose him for nothing.

The Colombian is worth €22m, according to Transfermarkt. Manchester United kickstart their season against Hull City.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven is to commit to a new deal in N17.

That's according to new reports that claim Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi has pulled off a masterstroke to convince his player to remain a part of the project, and turn down some of Europe's elite circling.

Van de Ven joined Spurs from Wolfsburg in 2023 and has been a hit – with TEAMtalk claiming that a five-year extension beckons for the 25-year-old.

Micky van de Ven commits his long-term future to Tottenham Hotspur

According to the report, De Zerbi has “transformed the mood” at the club and played a huge role in convincing Van de Ven to remain at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and complete a U-turn on his future.

The Lilywhites have endured 17th-place finishes in the past two seasons, with the Netherlands international one of the bright sparks in a patchy team – but injuries have blighted his career in English football thus far.

With Cristian Romero edging ever nearer to the exit door, Van de Ven has taken on more importance in the squad – and with Jan Paul van Hecke joining from Brighton & Hove Albion, De Zerbi may look to build on the Dutch partnership next season.

FourFourTwo understands, meanwhile, that Van de Ven will be leaned on post-Romero as one of the leaders in the Italian's squad, and may well be given the captaincy once his fellow centre-back departs.

The fastest player ever recorded in the Premier League, Van de Ven's Spurs career started brightly under Ange Postecoglou, as the club went on an unbeaten run at the start of the 2023/24 season until November, and a first international call-up came mere weeks into his journey with Spurs.

Postecoglou's first Premier League loss of the season, however, coincided with a game in which the defender was withdrawn with a hamstring injury – a theme of his time in the capital, with Spurs enduring several injury crises at the back during their relegation battles.

Tottenham have recruited the experience of Andrew Robertson at left-back, but the Scotsman turns 33 this season: and De Zerbi may well be leaning on the recovery pace of Van de Ven on that side of the pitch this season, with this extension coming as an important part of the Italian's project.

Earlier this summer, World Cup winner Pedro Porro committed his future to the North Londoners, too.

“Internally, Spurs view renewals as every bit as important as their summer signings, believing they have secured the core of the squad for years to come,” TEAMtalk says.

Van de Ven is worth €50m, according to Transfermarkt. Spurs travel to Brentford to begin their Premier League campaign.

Arsenal are set to pay Newcastle United more for Bruno Guimaraes than has been publically revealed.

FourFourTwo understands that a deal has been all but completed for the Brazilian, who will sign his contract with the Gunners to bring an end to one of the longest-running sagas of the summer.

But while Arsenal have managed to talk Newcastle down from the €100 million that they received for Sandro Tonali, the fee isn't quite as low as some outlets have claimed, according to those in Brazil.

Bruno Guimaraes to sign four-year Arsenal deal for around £80m

ESPN Brazil journalist Bruno Andrade has provided an update on Mikel Arteta's new signing, after previous stating that the deal was all but completed by weekend.

“There are a lot of details involved in this transfer and many bonuses that Newcastle are not planning to make public,” he explained.

“I’ve spoken to people who took part in the negotiations, and there is actually more money involved in the agreement between the clubs.”

The move apparently totals around £80 million in all, with FourFourTwo understanding that the two clubs have met somewhere in the middle of the £60m originally offered by the North Londoners for a player in the last year of his deal, and the £100m asking price.

Win bonuses for another Premier League title, and that elusive first-ever Champions League crown are almost certainly included, while there may be a figure to settle once Bruno has played a certain number of fixtures.

Intriguingly though, the champions seem to be looking to amortise their payment over four years rather than five, meaning that they could be looking at paying £20m a season to the Magpies rather than £16m.

According to Andrade, Bruno will sign a four-year deal with Arsenal, with the option of a fifth year on the table at the end of his contract – perhaps given his age.

The Rio-born schemer turns 29 in November, with Gunners sporting director Andrea Berta perhaps wishing to avoid another scenario like Bruno's compatriot, Gabriel Jesus.

Like Guimaraes, Jesus was signed in his prime, but after injuries took their toll on his body, Arsenal have struggled to move him on this summer – four years into his contract – and may have to stick with the star and his healthy salary for another year.

Guimaraes is worth €70m, according to Transfermarkt. It's champions vs champions on the opening day of the Premier League season, as Arsenal face Coventry City on Matchday 1.

Liverpool are looking to hijack Arsenal's next transfer.

With the Gunners have tied up a move for Bruno Guimaraes and their ambitious pursuit of Vinicius Jr now over, Arsenal are looking to bring in a new defender, with Ezri Konsa of Aston Villa high on the priority list.

But with Liverpool also looking to bring in defensive cover, the Reds could hand another blow to the Premier League champions behind the scenes.

Liverpool weighing up move for Ezri Konsa – despite Arsenal interest

According to The Guardian, Konsa is now on the Reds' radar, as Andoni Iraola looks for who to partner Virgil van Dijk in defence.

With Ibrahima Konate having left for Real Madrid and Van Dijk now 35 years old, there is a need to improve depth at the back – especially given the youth of both Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni, who are both coming off the back of injuries.

Jacquet and Victor Munoz are the only two signings brought to Anfield thus far this summer, with Andoni Iraola's lack of depth highlighted by the fact that his assistant, former Bournemouth captain Tommy Elphick, had to fill in at centre-back during a recent training session.

Konsa has the benefit, too, of being able to play at right-back – which has been a problem position for both Arsenal and Liverpool.

FourFourTwo understands that the North Londoners have been spinning plenty of plates in the transfer market, with the £60 million price tag one that the champions have been reluctant to meet while pursuing the likes of Vinicius Jr and Bruno Guimaraes.

Interest from Mikel Arteta's childhood friend Iraola may spur the Gunners on to wrap up the move, with Ben White and Jurrien Timber having both suffered injuries to rule them out of the World Cup.

With doubts over William Saliba's fitness, too, Konsa could well cover there.

“With the centre-back, with the right-back situation, in terms of defensive depth, we are, I think, very thin right now,” Iraola recently admitted.

Joe Gomez will miss the start of the season, too, through injury.

Konsa is valued at €45m, per Transfermarkt. Liverpool take on Newcastle United on the first weekend of the new season.

Manchester United are to pivot, with another lower-price central midfielder in mind for Michael Carrick's rebuild.

The Red Devils have been priced out of several big moves this summer, with the likes of Youri Tielemans preferred to Matheus Fernandes, as Carrick looked to strengthen ahead of the club's return to the Premier League.

With more depth still needed, Manchester United are now targeting Giorgio Scalvini, according to The Telegraph.

Manchester United to pivot to alternate targets (again)

United are trying to keep costs down this summer: players like Eduardo Camavinga have been linked with moves, but United have brought in Tielemans and Andrey Santos, both for less than £50 million.

Now, Atalanta star Scalvini is said to be on the radar for around £32m – due, in part, to an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

The Italian was valued at around €60m at the start of 2024, with the likes of Chelsea and Inter Milan competing with United for the star – but following an ACL injury that kept him out of Euro 2024, Scalvini's value has dropped hugely.

The Express relays that the 22-year-old is now worth £32m, which could represent a huge steal, given that he was one of the great hopes of Italian football just a few short years ago.

Interestingly, Scalvini could well be an option across the defence – but also in midfield.

The Italian can play as a midfielder, with his tall frame and ability to get around the pitch likening him to Declan Rice as a midfield presence, suggesting he could well develop into a more defensive-minded presence alongside Tielemans or Kobbie Mainoo.

Scalvini played just eight times in the season following his injury, but racked up 30 games in all competitions last term, as he returned to his best.

With United eyeing what could be an expensive move for Newcastle United's Lewis Hall, cheaper signings elsewhere could fund a bigger rebuild.

Another forward could well be targeted, along with a right-back.

Scalvini is valued at €38m by Transfermarkt. United face Hull City on the opening day of the Premier League season.

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso wants Martin Zubimendi of Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.

That's according to reports from Spain, which claim the new Blues boss still wants to add faces to his midfield options, and has targeted his fellow Spaniard as a potential new signing alongside Moises Caicedo.

Zubimendi has enjoyed a phenomenal 12 months, winning the Premier League and World Cup – but may well be open to the switch, given his playing time might be about to drop significantly.

Arsenal braced for Chelsea move, with Martin Zubimendi in Xabi Alonso's sights

FourFourTwo understands that Real Madrid – managed at the time by Alonso – were one of the frontrunners to sign Zubimendi a year ago, when it became apparently that the no.6 was open to leaving boyhood club, Real Sociedad.

Real pushed hard for the midfielder – as did Liverpool and Manchester City at different stages – though Zubimendi was won over in the end by the prospect of working with fellow Basque, Mikel Arteta, along with former team-mates Martin Odegaard and Mikel Merino.

Zubimendi played a whopping 57 games in all competitions last term for the Gunners, including every single Premier League fixture – but now, Spanish outlet Fichajes have reaffirmed claims from Chelsea writer Si Phillips that Alonso has requested the signing, following a potentially complicated future.

Arteta leant on Zubimendi heavily in the first half of the season, but by the end of the campaign, Myles Lewis-Skelly was starting in midfield alongside Declan Rice, even starting the Champions League final in place of the more experienced midfielder.

With Arsenal closing a deal for Newcastle United's Bruno Guimaraes now, minutes might become even harder for Zubimendi to come by in N5.

The 27-year-old was one of Arteta's most important players early in his debut term but looked tired towards the end of the campaign, becoming sloppier on the ball and failing to play with the same verticality and bravery that he showed when he first joined.

From Zubimendi's perspective, a move to Stamford Bridge would give him the opportunity to work with another Basque coach who understands his position – also having played there himself – and with Chelsea out of Europe this season, he wouldn't be as overworked in his sophomore season in English football.

Arteta has been quick to make up his mind about midfielders in the past, though FourFourTwo understands that he doesn't want to lose the World Cup-winning Spaniard, and the club will not be entertaining offers unless they're exceptional – especially with fitness concerns over Declan Rice.

The England international carried a back injury for much of the World Cup and played through “terrible pain” for the Three Lions at times, sparking fears that he may need a lengthy layoff before returning to domestic duty.

Zubimendi is worth €75 million, according to Transfermarkt. Chelsea start their Premier League season against Fulham.

Barcelona are on the brink of pulling off one of the most daring transfer hijacks of the summer window.

Ahead of arch-rivals Real Madrid, Los Cules are reportedly now in pole position to secure the signature of Manchester City midfielder Rodri.

According to a report from The Athletic, the Catalan giants have swooped in, capitalising on a breakdown in negotiations between Madrid and Man City, with a deal to take the 30-year-old Spain captain to Spotify Camp Nou now nearing completion.

Rodri to Real Madrid HIJACKED

For weeks, it appeared as though Real Madrid looked destined to land Rodri.

Following his excellent performances leading Spain to World Cup glory, Madrid president Florentino Perez supposedly prioritised the former Villarreal and Atletico Madrid star as the missing piece in Los Blancos' midfield.

Despite reaching an initial verbal agreement on personal terms, transfer talks between Madrid and Man City have broken down.

The Spanish club were unwilling to meet City’s £80 million asking price given he turns 31 next summer and is entering the final year of his contract. City’s refusal to lower their demands stalled progress, leaving the door open for a late intervention.

Rodri is reportedly open to the idea of joining Barcelona instead of Madrid, which will no doubt leave Man City chiefs pleased given the previous breakdown in talks that would have cost them up to £80m.

Barcelona are keen to bolster their central midfield options after a long-term injury to Frenkie de Jong, too.

With Los Cules guaranteeing a key tactical role alongside up-and-coming pair Pau Cubarsi and Lamine Yamal, Rodri has reportedly agreed to make the switch to Catalonia rather than Madrid.

A successful hijack would represent a statement of intent for Barcelona ahead of the 2026/27 season.

The LaLiga champions' transfer decision could see them land one of the world's best defensive midfielders, in addition to doing so from under the noses of their closest rivals.

For Real Madrid, losing out on their top transfer target to Barcelona would be a bitter pill to swallow, but does free up resources and strengthen their negotiating positions elsewhere.

When reports first surfaced linking Arsenal with a move for Real Madrid’s Vinicius Júnior, eyes widened across North London and further afield.

Signing one of world football’s best wingers would be the ultimate statement of intent for a club keen to build on their recent Premier League success.

But strip away supporters' excitement over transfer rumours and examine the realities of modern transfer sagas, and a very different picture emerges.

Vinicius Jr. knows how to work the Real Madrid boardroom

It is this writer's opinion that Arsenal are not on the verge of landing a Real Madrid superstar.

Instead they're being used as a pawn in a game of contract poker with eye-watering stakes.

The core of this drama lies in the ongoing contract negotiations at the Santiago Bernabeu.

According to reports from ESPN, Real Madrid recently presented Vinicius with a fresh extension offer worth approximately €22 million per year. For Vinicius, this fell short of expectations, leading to another round of contract talks.

The 26-year-old Brazilian international is said to have rejected the proposal, with his representatives holding out for a total package closer to €30m annually, to reflect his standing alongside football's top earners and importance at Real Madrid.

Enter Arsenal.

Reports of Mikel Arteta’s interest and the Gunners' theoretical willingness to make Vinicius the highest-paid player in their history have naturally made headlines - he would be the Premier League's marquee summer signing.

But while Arsenal are undeniably ambitious, the notion that the Emirates hierarchy would blow apart their wage structure to offer in excess of the €22 million proposed by Real Madrid is fanciful.

Arsenal have built their recent success on smart financial discipline; destroying that wage balance for a single arrival would undermine a lot that Arteta has built during his seven years in charge.

The public narrative of Arsenal links growing increasingly credible couldn't be more conveniently timed for Vinicius' camp.

With just 12 months remaining on his current contract, Real Madrid face time pressure to reach a solution that satisfies all parties. This window represents the club's final realistic opportunity to command an above-market transfer fee for their star man before risking a cut-price deal or losing him for free next summer.

Florentino Perez and the Madrid board know they are backed into a corner: sign the extension or watch a prime asset walk next summer.

In modern transfer sagas, a mega-club’s public interest is the ultimate bargaining chip, and Vinicius evidently knows how to play the room.

Keeping Arsenal’s interest front and centre, and highly publicised, Vinicius and his representatives are generating maximum leverage for ongoing contract talks. The threat of the Premier League champions waiting in the wings forces Real Madrid’s hand, nudging them closer to bending towards that €30m figure.

Arsenal’s summer pursuit of Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes is reaching its climax as the Brazilian midfielder prepares to finalise a £75 million move to the North London club.

Fresh details have emerged revealing the specific negotiation tactics employed by the Gunners during the transfer saga which is nearing a conclusion.

According to Sky Sports' North East reporter Keith Downie, Newcastle executives were left perplexed by Arsenal’s approach, particularly during the initial weeks of discussions.

Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal is almost a done deal

The groundwork for the transfer was reportedly laid weeks ago when intermediaries approached Newcastle to gauge what it would take to tempt their star midfielder to the Emirates Stadium.

Shortly thereafter, Guimaraes indicated to Newcastle management that he was open to joining the reigning Premier League champions.

Rather than capitalising on the momentum with an immediate, official approach, Arsenal backed off.

Downie reports: "Arsenal elongated the transfer by refusing to contact Newcastle for weeks — which Newcastle found bizarre."

Instead of opening a direct line of communication between boardrooms, Arsenal are said to have continued operating through middle-men for an extended period. This approach reportedly left Newcastle officials scratching their heads over why the Gunners were deliberately stalling formal contact when the player's interest had already been established.

Newcastle were desperate to retain Guimaraes and had zero desire to sell their marquee midfielder, but found their hands tied. Had the 28-year-old expressed a willingness to remain on Tyneside, the Magpies would have rejected any offers from Arsenal or any rival suitor.

However, 28-year-old Guimaraes maintained his stance, informing Newcastle bosses that he wanted to leave because he felt joining Arsenal represented a better chance of competing for major titles.

Once Arsenal did initiate club-to-club contact and met Newcastle's financial valuation, negotiations progressed swiftly towards the £75m agreement which is close to being ratified by the Premier League.

Relations between Guimaraes and Newcastle remain entirely amicable ahead of his arrival in North London.

While losing their captain is a major blow, the £75m windfall provides financial flexibility as the club rebuilds itself ahead of the new season and a new sporting cycle on Tyneside.

The Sky Blues are expected to complete the signing of 20-year-old Ghanaian international Caleb Yirenkyi, bringing in a player whom talent spotters across Europe view as a future top-flight star.

Yirenkyi’s development follows a proven blueprint. Developed at Ghana’s famed Right to Dream Academy, he made the well-trodden transition to its European partner club, FC Nordsjaelland in Denmark.

That exact pipeline previously launched international talents like Mohammed Kudus and Kamaldeen Sulemana into top-five European leagues.

All you need to know about Caleb Yirenkyi

In the Danish Superliga, Yirenkyi rapidly developed into an elite performer, combining tactile composure with excellent physical capacity - in short, he is the epitome of box-to-box.

At his core, Yirenkyi is a complete, dynamic engine in the middle of the park. Scouts who have monitored his progression have told FourFourTwo all about his well-rounded skillset.

Yirenkyi disrupts opposition build-up with his defensive work-rate, winning loose balls, tackling hard, and hassling ball-carriers. Meanwhile, in possession he displays press-resistance under pressure, distributes cleanly, and drives forward into open space.

While nominally a central midfielder, which is where he is likely to feature for the Sky Blues, Yirenkyi's athleticism and discipline mean he has regularly been trusted to operate as a right-back for his national team.

Yirenkyi is no hidden secret on the international scene, having announced himself to a global audience with Ghana at the 2026 World Cup. The youngster featured prominently throughout the Black Stars' tournament run, highlighting his big-stage composure by scoring on his World Cup debut against Panama, whilst competing admirably in high-stakes fixtures against England and Colombia.

With Coventry beginning the 2026/27 campaign as newly promoted underdogs, most casual observers won't expect the Midlands club to make waves or do much else than stay up, meaning signings like Yirenkyi could initially fly under the radar.

That lack of fanfare gives the Ghanaian huge underdog potential. If he adapts quickly to the tempo of English football, of which there is no guarantee, Yirenkyi has every chance of outperforming expectations and emerging as one of the most underrated transfers of the entire Premier League season.

Liverpool are expected to tie up a signing from Paris Saint-Germain – and it's not Bradley Barcola.

Barcola has been a primary target for the Reds since the start of the transfer window, following Mohamed Salah leaving Liverpool after nine years – and now, according to RMC Sport, a move for Senegalese striker Ibrahim Mbaye is “expected” to reach an agreement.

The report suggests that this will be a “historic” summer in terms of sales from the European champions, with Paris Saint-Germain having already trousered nearly €150 million from to the sales of Kang-in Lee to Atletico Madrid, Goncalo Ramos to Milan, and Randal Kolo Muani to Juventus.

Ibrahim Mbaye close to Liverpool move - with Bayer Leverkusen circling, too

Mbaye has two years left on his current Paris Saint-Germain deal and is a highly-rated striker in French football – but with plenty of competition for places in attack and Les Parisiens hoping to land an A-list attacker in the shape of Julian Alvarez or Yan Diomande earlier in the window, a pathway for the 18-year-old to be regularly starting for manager Luis Enrique looks to be a little hazy.

The Senegalese is valued at anywhere between €35-45 million – but with interest from Bayer Leverkusen, too, Liverpool are in a battle for his signature.

Canal+ journalist Olivier Talleron has claimed in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that the Bundesliga side have the edge of Liverpool at this stage, in contrast to RMC Sport's report, with the latter claiming that Mbaye is interested by the prospect of developing on Merseyside.

They also note that despite discussions continuing for Barcelona to move to Anfield, “the two sides are currently far apart” in their valuations of the French international.

“Between the price set by the Parisian club (over €150 million) and the Reds' desire to avoid breaking the bank, a compromise will need to be found for the deal to go through,” they state.

FourFourTwo understands that the Mbaye pursuit is a separate deal from Barcola and not necessarily an alternative, with the Frenchman more of a left-winger and the Senegalese primarily an option on the right wing.

Both players can play on both flanks – and up front – with new signing Victor Munoz, Florian Wirtz, Cody Gakpo, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike all players who can play on the left, too.

It's uncertain just yet as to which any of those options will play on the left, up front or behind the striker, and whether any will play on the right – or whether that spot will be filled by the likes of Jeremie Frimpong or Dominik Szoboszlai, who played there last season.

While Bournemouth manager, Iraola was no stranger to playing a right-footed right-winger, or a left-footer on the left, with Alex Jimenez used on the right for swathes of last season before Marcus Tavernier became first-choice on the left towards the end of the season.

Mbaye is worth €30m, according to Transfermarkt. Liverpool kick off their Premier League campaign against Newcastle United when the new season begins.

Arsenal have begun talks to sell an academy star, as they look to bring in Vinicius Jr from Real Madrid.

The Gunners are looking to pull off arguably the most ambitious move in their history by landing the Brazilian superstar, with FourFourTwo understanding that Arsenal's owners have agreed to smash their wage structure to sign Vinicius.

But there will have to be sales this summer in return, as the North Londoners look to balance the books – with one particular Hale End star for the chop.

Arsenal have engaged in talks to sell Ethan Nwaneri

Journalist Carlo Pellegatti has revealed via MilanNews that “talks have taken place and are at an advanced stage” to send Ethan Nwaneri to RB Leipzig, with a buy-back clause set to be included.

Nwaneri's breakthrough came in the 2024/25 season as an understudy to Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka – but following the acquisitions of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke, the 19-year-old has seen a lot less game time, leading to a loan move to Marseille in January.

Nwaneri was sent to the south of France with a view to being a key starter under Roberto De Zerbi, but with the Italian's leaving the Stade Velodrome acrimoniously shortly after, the teenager ended up playing just nine times in Ligue 1, with successor Habib Beye only using him sparingly.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta recently claimed after a preseason rout of Girona that Nwaneri's difficulties at l'OM would “help him a lot in his career” – but seemingly opened the door to him returning to the first team when he commented that he “looks like a different man”.

Incredibly, Nwaneri received a Premier League debut before the 2022 World Cup to become the division's youngest-ever player at just 15 years old, with Arsenal showing him from a young age that there was a pathway to the first team during a time when the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea were angling for his signature.

Indeed, the wonderkid wouldn't actually compete directly with Vinicius if he joined, given that he primarily operates from the right, as a no.10 or at false nine: though Nwaneri represents a player who could attract a big fee if he moved on.

The North Londoners' record sale is still Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who moved to Liverpool in 2017 for around £35 million – and while Arteta's tenure has seen success in selling academy prospects such as Folarin Balogun, Joe Willock, Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah, Nwaneri could be the biggest sale yet, given his age, potential, current low salary and contract situation.

The England youth international and fellow Hale Ender Myles Lewis-Skelly signed long-term extensions last summer, to keep them contracted at the Emirates until 2030.

With fellow teen sensation Max Dowman also breaking through at the moment and looking to collect minutes in the same positions as Nwaneri – and Madueke a far more established prospect still getting up to speed in N5 – Arsenal may well be resigned to having to balance out their squad in terms of who can play in that right half-space, given that Eze, Mikel Merino and Kai Havertz have all been the preferred as options to deputise for Odegaard in the past 12 months.

Nwaneri is worth €35m, as per Transfermarkt. Arsenal play Coventry City on the first day of the Premier League season.

Leeds are set to miss out on the signing of a long-standing player of interest after it emerged Premier League rivals Fulham have moved into advanced negotiations.

According to a report from Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, the Cottagers are closing in on an agreement to bring 22-year-old Southampton man Shea Charles to Craven Cottage.

Talks between the two clubs are said to be around a transfer fee of approximately £25 million, with personal terms not thought to be an issue.

Leeds miss out on Shea Charles signing

Leeds have had a long-held interest in the Northern Ireland international and are understood to have identified Charles as a main target to bolster their central midfield options.

However, the Saints hierarchy consistently held firm, turning down a succession of bids from Elland Road insisting on their £25 million valuation.

The reluctance to meet Southampton's price has seemingly allowed Fulham to step in and seize control of the race to sign the highly-rated youngster.

Charles’ tactical versatility and domestic background has made him a coveted player in this window.

Having developed within Manchester City’s youth system before joining Southampton in a £10.5 million deal in 2023, the midfielder qualifies as a homegrown player.

His composure, press-resistance, and defensive work-rate saw him emerge as a key performer on the south coast.

Manchester City are said to have retained a 15 per cent sell-on clause during his initial sale, meaning the reigning Premier League champions will collect a portion of the incoming £25m fee.

While Charles would have been happy to end up in West Yorkshire, moving up a division in the process, the prospect of immediate top-flight football under Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa has swung negotiations in the West Londoners' favour.

Fulham are now expected to finalise personal terms, meaning Leeds will be forced to pivot to alternative options to bolster their engine room before the deadline passes.

The Whites, however, are still on track to secure the signing of fellow homegrown star and ex-Manchester City academy graduate James Trafford.

Known for his high-pressing, Red Bull-educated style and sharp tactical focus, 38-year-old German coach Jaissle has developed a reputation as one of the most highly-rated young bosses in top-level football - but his appointment is still a risk.

Whenever a manager takes charge of a major project, they naturally look to familiar faces - players who already understand things such as pressing triggers, defensive demands, and dressing room culture.

Once his appointment is rubber-stamped, it would be reasonable to expect Jaissle to recommend such personnel to the Newcastle hierarchy.

Seven players Newcastle might sign under Matthias Jaissle

Despite so far having had a summer in which they have been one of the Premier League's more active clubs in the market, Newcastle are still in need of targeted reinforcements throughout the side.

It is for that reason, the 'Jaissle effect' could be important during the final month of the summer window. Here are seven players who worked under Jaissle and fit Newcastle's squad requirements.

Nicolas Seiwald (Defensive Midfield)

Appearances under Jaissle: 91 (6 goals, 14 assists)

No outfield player featured more frequently for Jaissle during his trophy-laden tenure at Red Bull Salzburg than Austrian midfielder Nicolas Seiwald.

Functioning as the engine of Jaissle’s midfield diamond, Seiwald reigstered 91 appearances under the German, offering press-resistance and defensive coverage. Newcastle's midfield lacks depth in the holding role, making Seiwald a candidate to rejoin his former boss.

Gabri Veiga (Attacking Midfield)

Appearances under Jaissle: 66 (12 goals, 10 assists)

After making the switch from LaLiga to Al-Ahli, Spanish playmaker Gabri Veiga began working under Jaissle.

Across 66 matches together in Saudi Arabia, Veiga contributed 12 goals and 10 assists before joining FC Porto last summer. With Newcastle seeking a goal-scoring midfielder capable of unlocking low blocks, Jaissle could provide 24-year-old Veiga with the platform for a top-five league reboot.

Oumar Solet (Centre-Back)

Appearances under Jaissle: 66 (2 goals, 4 assists)

Jaissle’s aggressive, high-line defence at Red Bull Salzburg relied heavily on recovery speed and composure of his central defenders, of which Oumar Solet was one.

Featuring 66 times under Jaissle, Solet knows how to play in his backline that routinely dominated domestically and competed admirably in the Champions League. With Newcastle needing long-term athleticism and ball-playing quality at centre-back, Solet fits the tactical profile.

Amar Dedic (Right-Back)

Appearances under Jaissle: 52 (4 goals, 6 assists)

Bosnian full-back Amar Dedic enjoyed his breakout under Jaissle at Salzburg, making 52 appearances and contributing direct to 10 goals from right-back.

His ability to invert into midfield or overlap down the right aligns with Jaissle’s tactical flexibility. Given Newcastle's need to refresh their options at full-back after Kieran Trippier's exit and Tino Livramento's persistent injuries, Dedic could be an option given he already knows the manager's demands.

Mohamed Camara (Defensive Midfield)

Appearances under Jaissle: 43 (1 goal, 5 assists)

Before earning a move to AS Monaco, Malian midfield enforcer Mohamed Camara was the defensive anchor of Jaissle’s 2021/22 domestic double-winning Salzburg side.

Playing 43 games under the soon-to-be-named Newcastle coach, Camara demonstrated excellent ball-winning capabilities as well as decent ability in possession. His tenacity in duel-heavy games would instantly bolster Newcastle's stability in the middle of the park, which is in need of some experience and steel.

Enzo Millot (Attacking Midfield)

Appearances under Jaissle: 40 (9 goals, 7 assists)

French midfielder Enzo Millot worked closely with Jaissle at Al-Ahli, making 40 appearances and registering 16 direct goal contributions.

Millot’s tactical nous, exhibited whilst still in Ligue 1, and pressing energy make him a coach's dream in a high-intensity transitional system. Newcastle's squad would benefit from his quality between the lines.

Karim Konate (Centre-Forward)

Appearances under Jaissle: 10 (5 goals, 2 assists)

Ivorian striker Karim Konate made his initial top-flight breakthrough under Jaissle at Salzburg, netting 5 goals and laying on 2 assists in just 10 appearances.

Despite that limited sample size before the manager's departure, Konate showed good goalscoring efficiency that foreshadowed his more recent rise as a top striking talent in a mid-tier European league.

While bringing in Jaissle’s trusted former players makes sense on paper, fans would be wise to temper expectations of an instant transformation.

Moving on from almost five years of stability under Eddie Howe marks a significant structural shift, leaving a dressing room very much in a state of flux and notably lacking in natural on-pitch leadership. That will be a responsibility that Jaissle himself must bear while adapting to the demands of English football.

Rebuilding a squad in transition is rarely as simple as importing a cluster of familiar faces. While players like Seiwald, Veiga, or Solet know Jaissle’s style, few will arrive with an immediate grasp of the unique weight, culture, and expectations that come with representing Newcastle or a Premier League club.

Recruiting players who know the manager's playbook can certainly help with tactical implementation, but assembling a reshaped squad under a head coach who is still figuring out the club for himself is a delicate process.

Signing Jaissle's former players may well prove the evolutionary route Newcastle take in 2026/27 and beyond, but it is by no means a guaranteed blueprint for instant success.

Manchester United target and Crystal Palace attacker Ismaila Sarr looks to be leaving the Premier League.

In two years at Selhurst Park, the Senegalese forward has made a huge impact, helping the club to their first three pieces of silverware in the FA Cup, Community Shield and Europa League.

Now, it's being reported by Tuttomercatoweb that the star is “very close” to leaving Crystal Palace – and it looks as if Manchester United could be left disappointed, too.

Manchester United to miss out on Ismaila Sarr, following Crystal Palace exit

According to the report, Fenerbahce are advancing to sign Sarr within the “next few hours”, as they look to reach an agreement with Palace.

According to Foot Mercato, United enquired about Sarr earlier on in the transfer window, with FourFourTwo understanding that the interest has failed to materialise into a formal bid.

Foot Mercato even quoted Senegalese social media account Joueurs SN, which relayed a quote in July from Sarr in July that “there's only one” dream club of his, adding that the winger said, “I love Manchester United with all my heart, and I'm a huge fan” in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

While that would certainly explain how often he's scored against Liverpool in his career, a more sober quote was relayed by APS in Senegal, with Sarr saying, “I have a three-year contract with Crystal Palace; it’s up to them to decide” on his future.

Sarr has been a big hit since moving to back to the Premier League, replacing Michael Olise for the Eagles.

Palace are yet to spend any money this summer, but new manager Pierre Sage may well have to make big moves after losing Marc Guehi in January – and with the long-term futures of Jean-Philippe Mateta and Adam Wharton still far from certain.

United, meanwhile, are still expected to land an attacker before deadline – with FourFourTwo even referencing Sarr as the dream option for Carrick recently.

Sarr appears to be the back-up option following the collapse of Rafael Leao's move to Turkiye.

The Milan forward rejected a move to Fener, who made a formal offer to bring the Portuguese to the Super Lig.

Sarr is valued at €45 million by Transfermarkt. United travel to Hull City on August 22 to kick off their Premier League campaign.

Premier League transfers are starting to ramp up ahead of the 2026/27 season beginning.

We had a slow start due to the World Cup, but with kick-off for a new campaign starting on August 21, a new Premier League season is just around the corner.

So who's signed who? Here's your complete list of every transfer so far, with fees courtesy of Transfermarkt.

Arsenal

Champions Arsenal confirmed their first arrival early in the window, as they made Piero Hincapie permanent, following a successful loan spell last term. Porto, meanwhile, have triggered the clause to make Jakub Kiwior a permanent buy, too.

Cult hero Leandro Trossard leaves the Gunners after three-and-a-half years, replaced in attack by Greek attacker Christos Tzolis.

Aston Villa

The big news here comes in the exit pile: Aston Villa have smashed their all-time record sale of Jack Grealish with Morgan Rogers' exit.

Joao Gomes will bolster the midfield along with club-record buy Johan Manzambi. Donyell Malen and Enzo Barrenechea leave for solid fees, too.

Bournemouth

Bournemouth made it through the World Cup without losing one of Alex Scott or Junior Kroupi – and have strengthened in defence and attack to sign Antonio Silva and Alvaro Rodriguez.

Alex Jimenez's loan obligation was triggered, only for the full-back to be sent to Fiorentina.

Brentford

Brentford have broken their transfer record for the highly-rated Mamadou Sangare, while bidding farewell to Jordan Henderson in midfield, who Sangare will likely replace.

Former Bournemouth forwards Jaidon Anthony and Callum Wilson add depth in forward areas after their respective relegations last term.

Brighton & Hove Albion

Chelsea's annual ransack of Brighton & Hove Albion talent is a surprising one: Danny Welbeck has left the club to become the first man to have played for the trio of the Blues, Arsenal and Manchester United.

Jan Paul van Hecke has left for Tottenham Hotspur, with Luka Vuskovic a highly-rated replacement.

Chelsea

Chelsea have brought in Premier League experience in the form of Danny Welbeck, Morgan Rogers and Maxence Lacroix, while continuing their policy of bringing in the best in class in young talent.

Valentin Barco is a World Cup runner-up, Marco Palestra is competition for Reece James and Geovany Quenda a long-awaited buy from Sporting.

Coventry City

Coventry City are biding their time with their rebuild – but have supplemented a Championship-winning squad with Loum Tchaouna and Frank Onyeka, who have both played in the top flight previously.

Crystal Palace

Oscar Mingueza replaces Maxence Lacroix, at Crystal Palace, who have made it to August without spending a penny.

Everton

Loan moves for Merlin Rohl and Tyrique George have been triggered into permanent deals at Everton.

Hayden Hackney is the standout summer buy.

Fulham

New Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa has lost his two top scorers from last season in Raul Jimenez and Harry Wilson, without collecting a fee for either.

Jonah Kusi-Asare's loan move has been made permanent.

Hull City

Hull City are moving slowly following promotion: Jack Butland joining from Rangers with Ivor Pandur moving the other way remains the most noteworthy business.

Ipswich Town

Ipswich Town have been active in strengthening up front, as Chuba Akpom and Daizen Maeda both join the Tractor Boys for under £10m.

Arijanet Muric has left for Italy, Conor Chaplin has moved to Leicester City and Ashley Young has retired.

Leeds United

Leeds United have signed Harry Wilson on a free transfer, in a major coup, considering how wanted he was by so many clubs.

Tarik Muharemovic joins, too, for a big fee, while Jack Harrison finally leaves, returning to Major Leave Soccer.

Liverpool

It's been a slow window for Liverpool, with Jeremy Jacquet replacing Ibrahima Konate at the back, while Victor Munoz may be the Mohamed Salah replacement in attack.

Long-serving Andrew Robertson joins Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer.

Manchester City

It's all change at Manchester City, who break their transfer record for Elliot Anderson and pip Arsenal to teen sensation Jeremy Monga.

Defensive stalwarts Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake and John Stones all depart, as does Bernardo Silva, on a free to Real Madrid.

Manchester United

Manchester United collect a respectable fee for Rasmus Hojlund, but have released Casemiro, Tyrell Malacia and Jadon Sancho – making a loss of almost £150m.

Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans in midfield, however, is smart business, as Michael Carrick gets depth and quality for good prices.

Newcastle United

The great Toon exodus kicked off before the World Cup, with Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon and Kieran Trippier all saying goodbye to Tyneside – before Eddie Howe followed.

The departures have been offset by Newcastle United signing exciting young talent in Bazoumana Toure, Sean Steur and Lukas Hornicek, however.

Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest's biggest deal prior to August was a sale, with Elliot Anderson leaving for an English record.

Stefan Ortega, Jota Silva and Gustavo Sa have all gone to affiliate club, Olympiacos.

Sunderland

Sunderland fought to keep Granit Xhaka for another year – and moved early to bring in more experience with the free transfer of Thomas Meunier.

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed an expensive rebuild, moving fast to smash their transfer record for Sandro Tonali, adding Mateus Fernandes and Jan Paul van Hecke to their squad, too.

Marcos Senesi and Andrew Robertson have joined on free transfers.

I’ll start this week by speaking about Vinicius Junior’s links to Arsenal. It would be a massive statement to bring him to the club, and I know they need to strengthen in that area after losing Leandro Trossard.

But I don’t think he will leave Real Madrid, and I expect him to sign a new contract. It’s been reported that he wants something like £400,000 a week, and I don't think Arsenal are going to be able to pay that.

Clinton was speaking on behalf of Freebets.com home to the best betting sites.

'Arsenal won't land Vini Jr.'

There’s also a lot of talk about Rodri joining Real Madrid, but Manchester City need to fight tooth and nail to keep him.

I was reading something which said that the Real Madrid president Florentino Perez needed to make that final decision whether to pursue a deal, but I'm surprised he hasn't said that Rodri is our number one target, because he's the best holding midfielder in the world at the moment.

He wasn’t always at his best after coming back from injury at Man City last season, but Pep Guardiola said that you'll see the best of Rodri at the World Cup. And what did we see? We saw the best player at the World Cup. Rodri was outstanding.

I know he's got a back issue and needs to recuperate after his operation, but I'm sure Man City will be doing all they can to keep him and ensure he signs a new contract. There’s no question that it would be an incredible signing for Real Madrid, but I want to see the best players in the Premier League, so I'd love Rodri to stay at Man City.

Moving on to Chelsea, and I can understand the decisions to sign both Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson. Chelsea's motto has always been to sign younger players, but that didn't work for them last season.

There were too many younger players that didn't have enough experience to manage the group.

That's why I think they tried to sign Granit Xhaka earlier in the window, and Xabi Alonso clearly wants to bring a wiser head into the squad.

Looking at Welbeck, he was one of the top scorers in the Premier League last season and would be a good addition. They've got the likes of Joao Pedro, and we don't know what's happening with Nicholas Jackson or Liam Delap, but at least one of them will probably move on.

Henderson would also provide more leadership in that Chelsea squad, and I feel they will have a right go at the Premier League next season with no European football to play. We saw that with Manchester United last season.

Moving on to Liverpool, and there’s plenty of talk that Bradley Barcola could join for more than €100 million. He’s a good player, but it’s a lot of money, and I feel like he has to improve technically. But one thing he's got, is pace to burn and he's a threat. You saw that at the World Cup for France and last season at Paris Saint-Germain.

Liverpool need to bring in a winger, not to replace Mohamed Salah, because no one can replace Mo Salah and I don't think anyone will get his numbers. But Barcola is at a good age, he's got pace, and he'd be going to a big football club with a top manager in Andoni Iraola. He would be a decent signing.

They have some defensive issues to address as well. I saw that Micky van de Ven has been linked with Liverpool, and that would make good sense to go and sign him. He regularly plays with Virgil van Dijk for the Netherlands, and there’s a brilliant understanding between the two of them. Although, I think Tottenham Hotspur will keep him now, as Cristian Romero looks as though he’ll leave this summer.

There have also been three big appointments at international level, with Germany, France and Italy announcing new managers. Jürgen Klopp is the perfect manager to take charge of Germany, who will be trying to turn their fortunes around after a very disappointing World Cup. I would have loved to have seen him back in club football, but that wasn't going to happen unless he came back to Liverpool

As for Zinedine Zidane, he said this was the job he always wanted. He's not worked for a while and had other job offers, but held out for this one. He brings that aura when he walks into a dressing room, because people respect him after his incredible career, he's proven himself as a brilliant manager too.

There’s plenty of talent at his disposal in that France squad. I know they didn't turn up in the semi-final against Spain, but it's still a top country with top players. I think both Klopp and Zidane will improve their respective nations massively. The Euros in two years’ time will be very interesting!

As for Roberto Mancini, he faces a massive rebuilding job with Italy. I don't understand how they've not qualified for a World Cup for so long. They got knocked out in the play-offs before this year’s finals, but there was no excuse for that, considering the players at their disposal. I think it’s a good call to bring back Mancini though, and hopefully they can start regularly qualifying for major tournaments again.

I’ll finish this week by talking about the world’s oldest professional footballer, Kazuyoshi Miura, who scored his first goal in almost four years last weekend. To still be playing at 59 is unbelievable. I go to the gym at my age and I'm knackered afterwards! I've been for two days and my body is in tatters, I feel like I can't walk, and he's still playing at 59. It's a testament to keeping yourself in good shape and loving the game.

But at 59, I don't even think I'll be walking that straight, let alone running around a football pitch for 90 minutes. I hope he continues playing beyond the age of 60. What a career he's had, and huge congratulations to him.

Manchester City have agreed their next summer transfer move.

The Citizens are in the midst of one of the most important transfer windows in their recent history, as the likes of John Stones, Bernardo Silva, and most critically, Pep Guardiola, have all departed Eastlands.

There could yet be more dramatic moves made before deadline – but first, Manchester City have agreed to re-sign a former player.

Agreement reached to bring Geronimo Rulli back to Manchester City

According to Spanish sports journalist Uriel Iugt in a post on X (formerly Twitter), City have reached an agreement to re-sign former goalkeeper, Geronimo Rulli.

The Argentine has agreed a two-year deal, according to the report, with negotiations ongoing with Marseille over the fee.

It is largely expected that Rulli will serve as back-up to Italian international Gianluigi Donnarumma for the Citizens, following the departure of James Trafford to Leeds United.

Trafford was bought last summer as City's new no.1, after Ederson left the club following eight years between the sticks – but just weeks into the season, the England international was demoted to the role of cup keeper when City were presented with the opportunity to bring in Donnarumma as first-choice.

Foot Mercato in France notes that Rulli's exit will facilitate l'OM's move for Guillaumes Restes of Toulouse, with City's negotiations “progressing well” for the 34-year-old.

Marseille are said to be holding out for around £3 million for Rulli, who was first signed by City a decade ago, following impressive form with Real Sociedad on loan in La Liga.

Rulli never played a single minute for City, heading back to San Sebastian on loan before joining permanently in January 2017.

After a loan spell in Ligue 1 with Montpellier in 2019/20, Rulli joined Villarreal in 2020, where he was the hero in a Europa League final penalty shootout that season, saving a spot-kick from David De Gea and converting his own to win Unai Emery's side their first-ever European trophy.

He was also a part of the Argentina squad that lifted the World Cup in 2022, and was among the group who triumphed at the 2024 Copa America, before being a back-up figure in this summer's World Cup.

Rulli is worth €6m, as per Transfermarkt. City kick off their Premier League campaign at home to Marco Rose's Bournemouth.

Fulham head coach Alvaro Arbeloa is set to have two familiar faces among his attacking options thanks to a double transfer deal with Spanish giants Real Madrid, according to reports.

Former Real Madrid player and coach Arbeloa worked with a number of the club’s junior teams and is understood to be the driving force behind Fulham’s swoop to replace attacking midfielder Harry Wilson and striker Raul Jimenez.

The Cottagers are closing in on Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios in a deal worth a total in the region of £43 million, the bulk of which is attributable to 22-year-old Garcia. Both players will be subject to a 30 percent sell-on clause.

Fulham and Real Madrid agree double deal

“All being well, the pair will follow head coach Alvaro Arbeloa to Craven Cottage from the Spanish capital,” reports The Athletic.

“Garcia and Palacios are set to become the first new arrivals of the summer, following Swedish forward Jonah Kusi-Asare, who joined on a permanent basis from Bayern Munich after spending the 2025-26 season on loan at Craven Cottage.

“Sources with knowledge of the situation indicated Madrid had decided months ago that Garcia would leave this summer – but the process was put on hold after [Jose] Mourinho’s arrival, as the new head coach wanted to see the striker in pre-season.

“The Portuguese liked the player but was not able to guarantee a prominent role in the team next season as it stands, leaving the choice on his future up to Garcia.”

Garcia won his first senior cap in Spain’s World Cup warm-up match against Iraq in June and has gradually been making an impression at the Bernabeu. He was a regular scorer for Real Madrid B and leaves the club with 13 first-team goals to his name.

He made 39 appearances in all competitions last term, scoring eight times. The young striker started twice in the Champions League and nine times in La Liga but has little hope of playing regularly with Kylian Mbappe ahead of him.

Palacios, valued at under £10 million by the reported agreement, has been at Real Madrid since 2020 and played primarily for the B side last season. He featured in seven senior matches for Real Madrid in 2025-26, all of them under Arbeloa.

Fulham’s first new signings mark a step in the right direction at the height of a difficult summer.

Their Premier League status has been rock-solid since Marco Silva took over as manager but the call of Benfica proved too tempting to resist for the Lisbon-born gaffer, who succeeded Mourinho at the Estadio da Luz in June.

Jimenez returned to Wolverhampton Wanderers and Harry Wilson switched to Leeds United, both on free transfers. Defender Issa Diop joined Ipswich Town for a reported fee of around £8.5 million.

The Cottagers’ Premier League campaign gets underway with a Monday night home fixture against retooled local rivals Chelsea on August 24.

Liverpool are reportedly ‘ready to ramp up their interest’ in Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola and new manager Andoni Iraola might have dropped a hint about how he sees the 23-year-old fitting in with his system.

The Reds are understood to be preparing a first transfer bid for Barcola, with some reports suggesting that the back-to-back European champions might allow him to move to Anfield for a fee in the region of £100 million.

Barcola joined PSG from Lyon three years ago and has had a huge impact, playing himself into national team contention while winning enough Ligue 1 titles, Champions League finals and cup winner’s medals to satisfy most players for a lifetime.

Liverpool’s win over Wrexham hints at hope for Barcola deal

With all worlds conquered, Barcola and PSG appear to be willing to part ways in pursuit of new challenges. It’s an exciting prospect for Reds supporters but the idea is somewhat tarnished by the subsequent question mark of the future of popular teenage winger Rio Ngumoha.

He made his senior debut for England prior to the World Cup and limiting his playing time in favour of a new signing isn’t what most Liverpool fans would have on their agenda for the new season.

Ngumoha scored the only goal of Liverpool’s friendly win against Wrexham at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night and eagle-eyed observers noted that there would have been room in Iraola’s second-half line-up, which also featured Curtis Jones, Jeremie Frimpong, Kieran Morrison and unexpected loan returnee Harvey Elliott.

“The 17-year-old's deflected goal in New York kept up the team's perfect record so far and his deployment off the right, having played almost exclusively off the left previously, serves to highlight what could come next for Iraola,” suggests The Mirror.

“There have been clamours for Ngumoha to play more regularly, but he and Barcola, another left-sided forward, could've been in a scenario whereby they were battling for the same spot.

“Liverpool are ready to ramp up their interest in the PSG man, whose exit from the European Champions is looking all the more likely, and Ngumoha's impressive cameo off the right shows that he and the Frenchman could play in tandem either side of a striker, whoever that may be.”

Liverpool have already added Victor Munoz to the fold and former Reds defender Jamie Carragher has questioned whether Barcola would be the right addition to a team that has Ngumoha, Munoz and Cody Gakpo, but no Mohamed Salah.

“Liverpool's big thing that stands out like a sore thumb right now is replacing Mo Salah, a right winger,” Carragher told Sky Sports News.

“I don't think Liverpool have got anybody really in the squad who looks fully comfortable playing right wing.

“They probably have at least four players in the squad before Barcola joins, if he joins, who could play on the left-hand side comfortably.”

Premier League clubs are rattling through the summer transfer like nobody’s business. Their total outlay is believed to be around £1.5 billion already and the transfer news is coming thicker and faster than ever.

Established Premier League clubs aren’t shy about spending money. Their level of risk is mitigated by incoming fees for the expensive players they sell to one another, and by the confidence that comes with being rooted in the market for years.

It’s a different story for promoted clubs and this summer is no exception. Coventry City, Ipswich Town and Hull City are at varying stages of their Premier League journeys and face very particular recruitment challenges this summer. They have their primary goal in common. They need to stay up.

Coventry City

Last season’s Championship winners are effectively Premier League newcomers. When they were relegated 25 years ago, the top division was not the same financial behemoth it is now.

Coventry were promoted with a team that was too good for the Championship under manager Frank Lampard but by no means ready to survive in the Premier League. Like many promoted teams before them, the Sky Blues are in the midst of a major recruitment test.

The Sky Blues turned midfielder Frank Onyeka’s loan deal permanent and are close to doing the same with goalkeeper Carl Rushworth. After defender Aurele Amenda, signed from Eintracht Frankfurt, and former Burnley winger Loum Tchaouna, Rushworth will become Coventry’s record signing.

Coventry won’t be able to upgrade in every department this summer. With the goalkeeper position sorted and Tchaouna added to a solid attacking midfield unit, left-sided defenders and a striker should now be the priorities.

Ipswich Town

Ipswich are back in the Premier League having been promoted, promoted, relegated and promoted again in the last five seasons.

Former manager Kieran McKenna admitted at the beginning of last season that they were not where he wanted them to be. They got it right in the end but Gary O’Neil, his successor in the dugout, could do with a running start this time around.

The Tractor Boys have laid out fees for eight new signings so far this summer, the largest for Brazilian striker Emersonn from Toulouse and highly-rated young Leicester City winger Abdul Fatawu.

Issa Diop, Chuba Akpom and Daizen Maeda should prove shrewd additions with top-level experience, while the acquisition of Kjell Scherpen from Union Saint-Gilloise could pave the way for goalkeeper Alex Palmer to return to West Bromwich Albion.

Ipswich are likely to allow a few more players to leave this summer, which might enable O’Neil to be tempted to bring in an experienced central midfielder given half a chance.

Hull City

The play-off winners split the difference between their fellow promoted clubs. They were relegated from the top division 10 seasons ago; the residual financial benefits of Premier League football are long gone but the imprint remains.

Getting promoted almost by accident isn’t always a recipe for Premier League disaster but it’s quite clear that the Tigers have their work cut out in the transfer market this summer.

Of their four confirmed new signings, only Ecuadorian midfielder Oscar Zambrano, 22, is under the age of 30, but Jack Butland from Rangers and Matt Targett from Newcastle United might both be players other clubs wish they had taken a punt on.

Rayo Vallecano’s Senegalese defender Nobel Mendy is reportedly next in the door for the biggest fee of all. Along with Butland, Zambrano and Hidemasa Morita, the centre-back addition hints that Hull are focusing their efforts on providing manager Sergej Jakirovic with a sturdy spine.

That kind of focus is essential, not only for Hull but for Coventry and Ipswich too. All three teams have gaps and weaknesses as well as the clear strengths that put them where they are in the first place.

They’re not going to be able to plug all those gaps. For promoted teams the transfer window is about extracting maximum bang for the buck and maximising their chances of surviving and thriving in the top flight.

Any Arsenal hope of landing Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes just took a major blow.

The Toon are reeling after the shock resignation of manager Eddie Howe, with German boss Matthias Jaissle set to replace the 48-year-old after five years at the helm.

With Arsenal closing in on a deal for Guimaraes, Howe's exit appears to have thrown a spanner in the works – especially given comments made by the former Newcastle boss.

Eddie Howe says Bruno Guimaraes is “committed” to Newcastle, amid Arsenal talks

Yesterday, Newcastle were battered 4-1 in a preseason friendly at Ashton Gate by Championship side Bristol City, with Howe asked after the defeat about whether he'd been granted assurances that his star man would continue at St. James' Park.

“We've spoken numerous times,” he answered, “Assurances? I don't think you can push too hard for those.

“I've said many times we want players who are committed, and Bruno has always been committed. His training performances and his game performances have been outstanding, every time he's worn the shirt, he's played with the fans by his side.

“I'd love to see that continue.”

FourFourTwo understands that Arsenal's talks with Newcastle – conducted via intermediary Kia Joorabchian – are progressing slowly, but Guimaraes has no intention to rock the boat in the way that Alexander Isak did last season following interest from Liverpool.

Howe's comments about the Brazilian's commitment to the club are certainly true, and given his sudden exit resignation – coupled with the departures of Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon – it's more than possible that a move for Guimaraes will be called off to prevent an exodus.

So far, Arsenal have only landed Christos Tzolis in terms of outfield squad players, with Plan Bs for Bruno and international team-mate Vinicius Jr likely to be steep drop-offs in terms of quality.

Newcastle are enduring another difficult summer themselves, 12 months on from a tricky transfer window which Howe led behind the scenes.

The Toon have already been gazumped in the market for the likes of Johan Mazambi and Victor Munoz, after similar issues trying to land players like Marc Guehi, Joao Pedro, James Trafford and Hugo Ekitike in previous windows.

Howe leaves Newcastle with a 48.5 per cent win percentage after 231 games, having won the club's first piece of silverware this century with the Carabao Cup triumph in 2025.

Newcastle United will be on alert after the future of one of their key transfer targets was addressed by his manager after a pre-season friendly.

The Magpies have persistently been credited with an interest in Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Lucas Bergvall, who is currently in Australia with Spurs and played in their warm-up against A-League side Sydney FC.

Spurs have signed midfielders Matheus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali for a combined fee in the region of £185 million, leaving the 20-year-old’s place in the team under threat.

‘I don’t want to convince anyone to stay’

The Sweden midfielder is understood to have informed Spurs that he wants to leave, with Newcastle a potential destination thanks to the departure of Tonali and ongoing speculation about the future of captain Bruno Guimaraes.

Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi was candid in his comments about Bergvall’s destiny after the game in Sydney, as reported by Nazaar Kinsella for BBC Sport. The Italian has already been won over by the player but isn’t hiding the fact that their requirements might not align this summer.

“I would like that he stays with us,” said the Spurs boss. “"I think he's potentially a top, top, top player. But then I don't want to convince anyone to stay. Tottenham is already, without me, a top club and we are not to convince anyone to stay.

“He can find the space if he stays with us. The competition within the players will be very strong because we are Tottenham and we have to build a strong squad - not just 11 players - especially considering a lot of injuries we suffered in the last two, three seasons.

“He wants space. He wants to play as a double pivot as a position. I can't give, for any player in the world, the place in the first XI guaranteed. I want to be honest with the players. I want to be clear. I don't want to make the first mistake. In terms of position, I can't give guarantee.”

Spurs moved quickly to equip De Zerbi with new signings capable of underpinning improvement on the pitch after consecutive 17th-placed finishes in the Premier League and two seasons rather closer to relegation than expected, albeit with a Europa League win and a respectable Champions League campaign in the mix too.

Tonali and Fernandes have been signed along with big-money defender Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton & Hove Albion and the free transfer acquisitions of Marcos Senesi from Bournemouth, Andy Robertson from Liverpool and Burnley goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.

Added depth and an improved starting midfield don’t say much for Bergvall’s long-term prospects at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium irrespective of De Zerbi’s positive words.

If Bergvall were to move to St James’ Park, he could be back at Spurs before the end of next month.

Their first home game of the season will be against the Magpies on Saturday, August 29.

Tottenham Hotspur are preparing a move that could have serious ramifications for Arsenal.

North London's bitter foes are no strangers when it comes to fighting it out for transfer targets, having competed for several players in the past – most notably, this summer, Sandro Tonali, who chose Tottenham after starting the window as Arsenal's first-choice target in midfield.

With plenty of business left to be done this summer, it would seem that there may yet be overlap in who the two clubs look to recruit, starting with a Spurs move on the horizon.

Tottenham Hotspur in for long-time Arsenal defensive target

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, Tottenham are weighing up a move for Jules Kounde of Barcelona for around €65 million.

With captain Cristian Romero having agreed an exit from N17, Spurs have already signed Jan Paul van Hecke to replace him, but further reinforcements could well be made before the end of the window, with the report claiming the Lilywhites are “keen on Kounde for his versatility” in being able to play on the right or in the centre of defence.

Signing the Frenchman would be a huge coup, given that he has been a long-term target down the Seven Sisters Road.

Arsenal are understood to be on the hunt for defensive cover themselves, with William Saliba's participation in the first half of the season unclear after suffering a back injury at the World Cup.

Given the injury issues suffered by Jurrien Timber and Ben White in recent months, Arsenal could do with someone to deputise at right-back, too.

While Tottenham have not made a formal offer as yet, the interest is said to be hinging on whether Barça choose to cash in on Kounde.

The Catalan giants are expected to move for a centre-forward before the transfer window closes, with any bid of €60m or above for Kounde well worth consideration.

FourFourTwo understands that Arsenal currently aren't looking to the 27-year-old as they look to keep costs down in their pursuit of Bruno Guimaraes and Vinicius Jr, but with Spurs looking to bolster their defence, another right-back could well arrive before deadline.

Pedro Porro, however, proved himself as one of the standouts in his position over the World Cup, and it is unlikely that Roberto De Zerbi will want to replace him in his system.

Kounde is valued at €60m by Transfermarkt. Spurs travel to Brentford on the first day of the new Premier League season.

Talismanic attacker Iliman Ndiaye is reportedly closing in on a move to Saudi Pro League outfit Al Hilal.

According to transfer insider Pete O'Rourke, the Senegalese international is expected to finalise a lucrative departure this summer, stripping the Toffees of one of their main goal threats.

While losing Ndiaye depletes Everton’s firepower up front, the reality of the squad’s defensive depth - or lack, thereof - is arguably even more alarming. As things stand, Everton possess just three senior central defenders in their entire squad.

Everton in transfer trouble ahead of new season

Tellingly, two of those options are James Tarkowski and Michael Keane, both now 33 years old, who formed part of Burnley’s central defensive unit a decade ago.

During Burnley's 2016/17 Premier League campaign, Ben Mee was Sean Dyche’s preferred choice alongside Keane, although Tarkowski and Keane did play together 20 times over the course of the season.

Relying on that exact pairing ten years later highlights a stark lack of squad evolution and could leave Everton exposed at the back in 2026/27.

Compounding the growing uncertainty at Goodison Park is speculation surrounding manager David Moyes.

The veteran Scot has been linked with taking the vacant Scotland national team job following Steve Clarke's recent departure following a disappointing World Cup exit.

Given where Moyes stands in his managerial career, taking charge of his national team at this present juncture is widely regarded as his final opportunity to undertake the role.

Should the Scottish FA make a formal approach, Everton could find themselves searching for a new manager at the worst possible time.

With just over three weeks remaining before the Premier League season gets underway, the pressure on Everton’s transfer negotiators has reached the point where fans are beginning to question the strategy underpinning their summer business.

The club cannot afford to head into the opening weekend relying on an aged defensive duo, little central depth, and their star forward sold abroad.

The Toffees have added Merlin Rohl and Tyrique George on permanent deals, as well as securing Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough, but there is work still to be done. Everton kick off their Premier League campaign at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday, August 22.

Chelsea are keeping their Premier League rivals on their toes with a string of surprising transfers ahead of Xabi Alonso’s first season in charge at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues have invested heavily this summer, bringing Morgan Rogers in from Aston Villa for a British record transfer fee and signing Atalanta full-back Marco Palestra. Geovany Quenda has completed his move and striker Emmanuel Emegha has been imported from Strasbourg.

Those four players have an average age between 21 and 22, a number lowered further by the two teenage players Chelsea have acquired for lower fees this summer, but the next players through the door will be a different story.

Henderson free to join Chelsea from Brentford

Chelsea are eager to add cost-effective experience and leadership to their ranks. Not being a club to do things by halves, they’re on the cusp of signing both Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck.

It was reported on Wednesday morning that Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion have agreed a deal for Welbeck, who has now been given permission to undergo a medical before completing a transfer to Stamford Bridge on a two-year deal.

35-year-old Welbeck is shining in the twilight of his career. The former Manchester United and Arsenal striker will join the Blues on the back of a fine season in front of goal.

He scored 13 times in the Premier League – the best return of his career – but it’s almost as noteworthy that he was consistently fit and available for the Seagulls. Welbeck is being signed for experience but there’s every chance he features regularly, with Liam Delap struggling to lock down a place and Emegha still developing.

Brighton will receive an undisclosed transfer fee thanks to a one-year contract extension signed earlier this year, while Brentford will allow Henderson to leave the Gtech Community Stadium for nothing.

“England midfielder Henderson, 36, has a year left on his Brentford contract but the Bees are willing to let him leave on a free transfer,” report Nazaar Kinsella and Sami Mokbel for BBC Sport.

“Henderson made 34 appearances in all competitions for Brentford last season after joining from Ajax. He made one substitute appearance for England at the World Cup before breaking his arm falling over advertising hoardings while celebrating their last-16 win over Mexico.”

Both Henderson and Welbeck are expected to be part of Chelsea’s pre-season tour of Hong Kong.

The Blues will play Tottenham Hotspur in Sydney on Saturday before facing Juventus in Hong Kong and AC Milan in Jakarta over the course of the next week.

Alonso will then take on his first club, Real Sociedad, in his first match in charge at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea’s Premier League campaign gets underway down the road at Fulham on Monday, August 24.

The arrival of 20-year-old French midfielder Aladji Bamba from AS Monaco in a £34 million deal provides Eddie Howe with a gifted technician possessing certain similarities to Newcastle’s departing talisman.

At 20 years-old with limited senior experience, Bamba is far from the finished article and almost certainly won't have the same impact as Newcastle's skipper just yet - but the Toon Army are almost exclusively paying for potential.

The midfielder rose rapidly through AS Monaco’s academy ranks, reaching a point where he has ultimately commanded the significant fee Newcastle have paid.

Is Aladji Bamba Newcastle's Bruno Guimaraes replacement?

According to Transfermarkt, Bamba had a standout breakthrough campaign in 2025/26, making 25 senior appearances across Ligue 1, the UEFA Champions League, and domestic cup competitions.

His composure and press resistance earned him a nomination for the 2026 European Golden Boy award before Newcastle secured his signature on a five-year contract.

Bamba operates mainly as a deep-lying midfielder, and his greatest strength lies in the vision he possesses when facing stubborn, compact opponents.

In an interview with Sky Sports, a former coach highlighted this precise quality when evaluating his skillset.

"His main attribute is playing against a low block, those tiny little passes to break down a low defence," Monaco set-piece coach Abel Lorincz said.

This description mirrors the one of Bruno Guimaraes' defining features at St. James' Park. Guimaraes has excelled at taking up positions on the right-hand side of the edge of the penalty box, slipping subtle, eye-of-the-needle passes through tight defensive lines into the path of runners like Miguel Almiron and Jacob Murphy.

Bamba’s ability to turn under pressure, roll the ball in tight spaces, and weight precise passes into the penalty area suggests he can potentially grow to replicate that creative outlet in the Premier League one day.

Bamba’s rapid ascent has seen him go from footballing obscurity with local side Blois to the Premier League in five short years. After logging 22 appearances and 4 goals for Monaco’s U19 side in 2023/24, he quickly adapted to senior football, featuring in 25 first-team matches last season, while boasting very high pass completion rates.

With Arsenal actively in talks for Guimaraes, losing the Brazilian remains a significant blow for Newcastle.

However, in Bamba, the Magpies have acquired a high-upside midfielder whose technical profile on the surface appears tailor-made to fill at least some of the void.

When Liam Delap made his high-profile move to Stamford Bridge last summer, it felt like the logical next step for one of English football’s most promising young attackers.

Yet, just a short time later, the striker finds himself at a career crossroads.

Reports now suggest Chelsea regard him as expendable this summer - a reality that, rather than signalling a disaster, might just prove to be the best thing that happens to his career.

Liam Delap MUST leave Chelsea for the good of his career

Delap’s talent has never been in doubt having tortured defences at youth level with Manchester City and England Under-21s. The son of former Republic of Ireland international Rory, Liam bullied opposition centre-halves with his in-your-face centre forward style.

This attitude became the cornerstone of his debut top-flight campaign with Ipswich Town in which he scored a dozen times for the relegated Tractor Boys.

A year later, largely due to limited opportunities, Delap has added just one more goal to his Premier League tally whilst on Chelsea's books. But the talent remains.

His rare combination of physical power, relentless running, and clinical finishing made him one of the most complete young centre-forwards in the country. That doesn't simply vanish in the space of 12 months.

Newcastle United were in talks to sign the 23-year-old from Ipswich last summer, with head coach Eddie Howe even presenting to the striker a vision of how he would play as the Magpies' No. 9.

The lure of Stamford Bridge, though, proved too much, as it has done for so many young players who struggle to make the grade at this stage of their career, through little fault of their own.

Delap is far from the first promising player to arrive in West London only to wrestle with heightened expectation, reduced game-time and squad bloat.

Under new head coach Xabi Alonso, it is difficult to see the former England youth international being given the necessary opportunity to turn his Blues fortunes around.

He is behind Joao Pedro in the pecking order, whilst the summer arrival of Emmanuel Emegha from Strasbourg adds further competition.

Meanwhile, reports that veteran Danny Welbeck could also be coming through the door means Delap’s path to regular first-team football remains obstructed.

In the volatile environment that is modern day Chelsea, defined by managerial churn and bloated squads, young players are easily swallowed up.

If Delap does move on this transfer window, his brief spell at Chelsea should not be framed as a personal failure or a career misstep. It is simply another chapter in a familiar story: Stamford Bridge remains a difficult environment for young players needing patient development, even if the sheer magnitude of the club makes it an opportunity impossible to turn down.

What Delap needs now is a move to an established, ambitious mid-level Premier League club. Joining a side unburdened by the threat of relegation, one realistically capable of pushing for European qualification, would provide the ideal stage.

Somewhere he is guaranteed to be the focal point of the attack rather than a bench option is paramount for his next move.

A broader motivation for leaving the Bridge extends all the way to the national team.

England face an inevitable long-term challenge: finding a successor to Harry Kane as the country’s starting No. 9 when the captain eventually steps down from international duty.

Right now, genuine candidates with the complete physical and technical profile required to lead England's line are scarce.

Delap possesses most attributes needed to be a true contender for the Three Lions' shirt, but potential means little without consistent Premier League minutes.

Seeking a fresh start where he can be the main man could help Delap resurrect his club prospects but also bring him into the conversation as the future of England’s attack.

Arsenal could have the answers to all their prayers – for free – as they juggle summer business.

The Gunners are trying to pull off the improbable in the transfer market, as they look to bring in the likes of Vinicius Jr and Bruno Guimaraes for a combined £200 million – and ensure that they have enough in the tank to strengthen in defence.

So could a familiar face present himself as a lifeline to Arsenal?

Former Arsenal man Takehiro Tomiyasu is back in London

According to James McNicholas of The Athletic, former Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu is training with Crystal Palace, as the Eagles weigh up a possible offer for the Japanese.

Tomiyasu signed for the Gunners in 2021 and established himself as a solid utility man in the Premier League – but in March 2023, he suffered knee damage that would mark the start of a string of injury problems.

The Japan international played just five minutes of football in 2024/25, before undergoing surgery – but surprisingly left the club by mutual consent to continue his rehabilitation alone 12 months ago.

Though the 27-year-old claimed his “heart wasn't really in it” during his recovery at London Colney, his exit was completely amicable with the club. “I’ll support the team as a Gooner alongside all of you,” he said after departing, describing his exit as “peaceful”.

Tomiyasu signed a short-term deal with Ajax last season, ahead of appearing at the 2026 World Cup.

The return to England is certainly apt: with Arsenal centre-back William Saliba hobbling out of the World Cup with a back injury – while right-backs Ben White and Jurrien Timber were ruled out before the tournament began – Gunners boss Mikel Arteta would certainly love to call upon a fully fit Tomiyasu as cover right now.

Though FourFourTwo understands that Palace are better placed to strike a deal – and that Arsenal aren't currently looking at re-signing the 27-year-old – the move would certainly help the Gunners out, as they look to complete other deals.

Given how much Arsenal are looking to spend in forward areas this summer, Arteta would no doubt welcome a familiar face that he knows he could trust – and with Tomiyasu available for absolutely nothing, it may be tempting for both parties to complete their unfinished business together, especially with the defender able to finally play in arguably his best position of centre-back, while Saliba recovers from injury.

With Palace a more likely option, however, one wonders how Arteta will look to seek cover for the likes of Saliba and Timber, as he looks to strengthen with eye-watering sums about to be spent in attack.

Tomiyasu is worth €5m, according to Transfermarkt. Arsenal start their Premier League title defence at home to Coventry City next month.

Tottenham Hotspur selling Cristian Romero is the least surprising piece of transfer news anyone will see all summer.

The writing was on the wall when the Spurs captain originally planned to fly home to Argentina during Tottenham's crunch clash to secure survival on the final day of last season, and bridges haven't been mended since.

SportItalia’s Gianluigi Longari has confirmed in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that the Argentine is still on Inter Milan's radar, with an agreement reached between the two clubs – for a surprising fee.

Tottenham have agreed £35m fee to sell Cristian Romero

In 2021, Tottenham agreed a £42.5m fee for Atalanta defender Romero, the second-most that the Lilywhites had ever paid for a player behind the £53m spent on Tanguy Ndombele.

Five years later, Romero is a World Cup winner and runner-up, still just 28 years old, the club captain in N17 and with three years left on his contract – yet leaving for €40m, around £35m.

Tottenham have certainly made losses on players before: Ndombele infamously had his contract terminated, Emerson Royal left for half what Spurs paid for him, former record buy Davinson Sanchez left for under £10m, and losses were made on both Emerson Royal and Giovani Lo Celso. But none of them were real successes at Spurs: Dele Alli, Jan Vertonghen, Dele Alli and Hugo Lloris, meanwhile, were all huge hits, but each of them left North London well beyond their peak.

While Romero has had a rough season or two, he's not in either of these camps. Fans would have placed the Argentine, surely, as a sale in the vein of Harry Kane, Kyle Walker, Gareth Bale, Luka Modric, or even Brennan Johnson – as a player who gave good service to the club, with plenty more to give at the top level.

Even the sale of Luka Vuskovic this summer to Brighton – £46m, as per the BBC – suggested that Spurs ould recoup what they spent on Romero, even with inflation, as they did with Toby Alderweireld and Christian Eriksen, and almost did with Steven Bergwijn.

Spurs would have liked to define themselves as a club able to hold out for the highest offer under Daniel Levy – making this £7.5m loss on their captain odd to see. Realistically though, the Lilywhites earned a very different reputation under the former chairman, though.

Yes, Spurs held onto several players far too long: the likes of Danny Rose, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen were all replaceable assets who commanded £50m+ at their respective peaks, back in an era where such a fee was seismic.

Manchester City and Liverpool have regularly sold regular starters – think Ferran Torres, Julian Alvarez, Gabriel Jesus, Sadio Mane, Georginio Wijnaldum and Philippe Coutinho – refreshing their squad with the proceeds.

Sure, Spurs may be looking to do something similar with Romero, who clearly isn't a part of the future and may well have checked out.

Accepting a loss on a major first-teamer, with elite clubs wanting to sign him, marks a significant change in approach, though – and a strange thing to see from a club with such a distinct transfer policy over the last decade.

While Stamford Bridge has sanctioned another eye-watering mega-deal, Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta have quietly gone about their business with modern squad building in mind.

Arsenal’s acquisition of Greek international winger Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge for £34m represents great value, particularly when factoring in Leandro Trossard’s exit for £15m.

In net terms, the Gunners have refreshed their attacking options for just £19m.

Arsenal show Chelsea how it's done in the transfer market

Beyond the financials, the age gap is significant. Trading 31-year-old Trossard for a 24-year-old in Tzolis lowers the squad's age profile while injecting fresh hunger - and a point to prove after Tzolis' previous unsuccessful foray into English football.

The Greek international's track record in recent seasons is formidable. At Fortuna Dusseldorf during the 2023/24 season, he netted 22 goals and added seven assists in 30 appearances in 2. Bundesliga.

Securing a move to Club Brugge in Belgium on the back of his 2. Bundesliga exploits, Tzolis bagged 43 goals and registered 20 assists in 108 appearances across all competitions, including 33 goals in 74 Belgian Pro League matches.

The expectation is that Tzolis will not immediately replicate his prolific Belgian numbers. The jump in quality from the Pro League to the Premier League requires patience, but as a squad option learning under Arteta, his upside is massive compared to his modest net outlay.

In stark contrast, Chelsea have shelled out £117m to sign Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa. Unlike Tzolis, the 23-year-old Rogers arrives at Stamford Bridge under pressure to deliver straight away due to his elevated price tag and established Premier League profile.

The deal highlights Chelsea’s tendency to spend freely under BlueCo ownership without a clear structural plan. Stamford Bridge is already overcrowded on the flanks with Pedro Neto, Jamie Gittens and now Rogers all competing for minutes.

From an outside perspective at least, adding another £100m-plus asset into a bloated attacking unit underscores a continued lack of squad planning discipline.

Chelsea’s recent history is littered with expensive transfer mis-steps, none more illustrative than Mykhaylo Mudryk. Signed for £88m in 2023, the Ukrainian winger has proven to be a considerable drain on club resources. To make matters worse, Mudryk remains unavailable after testing positive for the banned substance meldonium, leaving Chelsea paying significant wages for a player frozen out of competitive football.

To clear space for Rogers, Chelsea sanctioned a season-long loan sending Alejandro Garnacho to Aston Villa. This comes less than a year after buying the Argentine from Manchester United for £40m - a transfer which raised eyebrows at the time. While allowing Garnacho's exit removes an unneeded wage burden from Xabi Alonso’s squad, doing so on a loan basis is merely a temporary fix rather than a permanent financial solution.

In securing a winger with Tzolis' track record for a net outlay of just £19m, Arsenal have demonstrated foresight, patience, and financial control. Chelsea, meanwhile, have dropped £117m on Morgan Rogers to address a position they could do with supplementing but are hardly short of options in.

Rogers could feasibly win the PFA Player of the Year next season; he is, after all, supremely talented. But, questions will continue to be asked of Chelsea if he does not hit the ground running, because this is a club where, more often than not, there appears a semi-permanent state of dressing room unease, squad bloat and ultimately unrest.

New Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola has had a slower summer in the transfer market than his predecessor enjoyed this time last year.

The Reds' frenetic few months breaking their club transfer record twice and splurging over £400 million as champions of England perhaps contributed to the downfall of Arne Slot, whose heightened expectations came back to bite him when Liverpool finished fifth in the Premier League.

And yet Iraola perhaps has the hardest task of any Merseyside manager in the transfer market for years: how do you replace Mohamed Salah?

Liverpool could look to familiarity, as Rayan move shapes up

Liverpool have so far only signed Victor Munoz to bolster their attack – primarily a left-winger – with the assumption that the right flank will be occupied by someone like Dominik Szoboszlai or Jeremie Frimpong unless an available superstar emerges.

Yet Iraola has replaced a superstar before: after joining Bournemouth in January as the Cherries' Antoine Semenyo heir, Rayan took to the Premier League like a duck to water, with youth football expert Joe Donnohue stating it was “little surprise he's found the net so early on,” in a report for FourFourTwo's Boy's A Bit Special series.

Since then, the Brazilian has been called up to the World Cup and even given a start by manager Carlo Ancelotti in Raphinha's absence: and while Raphinha may be more the calibre of name that Reds fans would expect the club to replace a legend like Salah with, however, there may not only be more truth in Rayan – TEAMtalk reported links earlier this month – but more sense.

For a start, the 19-year-old has worked with Iraola before and has a clear track record not just of tearing up full-backs in this league, but delivering goals, too, with five goals in just 15 appearances thus far.

Rayan is far more than just a poacher, though, having proved himself as a high-intensity presser on the right flank who will run himself into the ground – and with Liverpool needing to find the best combination of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Dominik Szoboszlai, trying to accommodate another high-output superstar might be too tricky to co

Signing a teenager instead would allow Iraola a little grace, while his work-rate can help establish the tone: goals and assists wouldn't be expected of Rayan right away, as he instead looks to work within a system and platform the players around him.

The sticking point is, of course, the price, with Rayan likely to command the kind of fee that one would expect from a ready-made superstar, despite less than six months of Premier League experience under his belt.

With Bournemouth adamant that their starlet can't leave on the cheap – especially with Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott courting attention from the elite – Liverpool may be better off throwing their weight behind a big-money, proven star who can alleviate some of the pressure from the likes of Isak and Wirtz.

Yet with big names come expectations: perhaps Iraola would be far better placed to invest in someone who can get the most from the big names he already has right now.

Rayan is valued at €60 million by Transfermarkt. The Reds begin their Premier League campaign against Newcastle United.

Chelsea are seeking to supplement their forward line with the addition of 35-year-old Brighton and Hove Albion striker Danny Welbeck.

The former Manchester United and Arsenal attacker is into the final 12 months of his Seagulls deal having extended his stay earlier this year.

Chelsea, though, are exploring the possibility of bringing him to Stamford Bridge in this window.

Danny Welbeck to Chelsea is ON

The Blues are reportedly keen to add Welbeck to Xabi Alonso's ranks due to the veteran's experience and leadership qualities.

Alonso arrived earlier this summer and has already overseen the signings of Morgan Rogers, Marco Palestra, Geovany Quenda, Emmanuel Emegha, Denner and Dastan Satpaev, many of which were pre-arranged moves.

Chelsea's transfer policy in recent seasons has been to sign young, high potential players instead of those who are already the finished article.

Their Welbeck pursuit goes against this approach, indicating Alonso's desire for a more balanced dressing room in terms of the squad's age profile has been heeded by the Stamford Bridge hierarchy.

According to The Athletic, there is optimism on all sides to do a deal.

At present, the oldest member of Chelsea's first-team squad is goalkeeper Robert Sanchez who is 28.

FourFourTwo understands that internal club chatter suggests a move is advanced following initial positive conversations between the two teams, Welbeck and his representatives.

Leeds United have moved a step closer to landing the signing of German international midfielder Julian Brandt.

The Whites are keen to make 30-year-old former Borussia Dortmund midfielder Julian Brandt their latest signing this summer.

The club have already added Tarik Muharemovic and Harry Wilson from Sassuolo and Fulham, respectively, but are eyeing the ambitious capture of 48-cap international Brandt, too.

Julian Brandt to Leeds United latest

Dortmund bid farewell to Brandt earlier this summer after seven years with the club, having previously broken through at fellow Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen.

He made 307 appearances for Dortmund, scoring 57 times and registering 70 assists across all competitions.

Leeds are thought to be front-runners for the midfielder's signature who is reportedly open to the idea of playing in the Premier League at this stage of his career.

Brandt's entire club career has taken place within Germany, aside from appearances for the national team and European competition, in which he is vastly experienced with just shy of 100 outings in the Champions League and Europa League.

Dutch giants Ajax have also been linked with a move for Brandt this summer, along with a host of other top European clubs, all of whom could offer continental football in some capacity.

Leeds, on the other hand, have the trump card of Premier League football, which remains the division in which most players seek to play, for competitive and financial reasons.

Last summer, Leeds persuaded Dominic Calvert-Lewin to turn down offers from clubs with European football in order to join up with Daniel Farke at Elland Road. Brandt may now follow suit after the latest transfer development.

Ajax appear to have agreed to spend a large portion of their transfer budget on a centre-forward, reducing their ability to be as competitive in contract talks with Brandt.

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Tolu Arokodare is reportedly on the verge of joining the Amsterdam club after a dressing room fallout at Molineux and could eventually move for €22 million, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The deal is supposedly a loan with an option to buy, meaning Ajax may still be able to afford Brandt this summer. However, their spending power would be diminished when it comes to contract negotiations due to full coverage of Arokodare's Wolves salary.

Should Brandt complete a move to Elland Road, he would join fellow German internationals Lukas Nmecha and Anton Stach, along with manager Farke and his majority-German backroom staff.

Manchester United could be about to tie up the signing of Eduardo Camavinga, following an agreement at Real Madrid.

The Red Devils have enjoyed a modest summer thus far, with midfield the key area for new manager Michael Carrick investing in most heavily, as the likes of Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos have both joined.

With reports that Manchester United could well make further in-roads into strengthening in the centre of the park, however, could the biggest signing yet be about to happen?

Manchester United have long-standing interest in Eduardo Camavinga – whose Real Madrid future is unclear

It's been a testing few months for Camavinga at Real Madrid, with the Frenchman struggling in the second half of the season under Alvaro Arbeloa, before his shock snub from France's 2026 World Cup squad.

As if things weren't uncertain enough, Los Blancos have brought in Bernardo Silva to compete for spots in midfield – and have reached an agreement for his former team-mate, World Cup winner Rodri, to join, as per French outlet RMC Sport.

According to The Guardian, United have already identified Camavinga as a big opportunity, with as little as £51 million needed to convince the 15-time European champions to part with the 23-year-old.

FourFourTwo understands that the transfer fee is only half of the story, however: Camavinga will command high wages wherever he goes, with the Red Devils reluctant to break their wage structure.

Should a deal be possible though, the French talent may well be the final part of the jigsaw, and given that Real have let the likes of Dani Ceballos and Martin Odegaard leave the club in the past on loan to collect minutes – not to mention the sale of Casemiro to Old Trafford, which allowed Camavinga himself to flourish – a deal feels far from unlikely.

Not only is Camavinga able to cover at left-back – a position that United have struggled with in the past, given Luke Shaw's injury woes – he is exactly the kind of space-eating ball-winner that the club currently lacks.

In Santos, Tielemans and Kobbie Mainoo, Carrick has three diligent pressers with high technical quality, but Camavinga has shown at the very highest level that he can cover plenty of ground and offer a physicality that the Red Devils perhaps lack right now.

Right now, FourFourTwo understands that the former Rennes man would prefer to remain at the Bernabeu and compete for a spot under new manager Jose Mourinho.

Should Rodri join, however, that is a situation that may alter – especially towards the end of the transfer window.

Camavinga is worth €50m, according to Transfermarkt. United face Hull City on the first day of the new season.

Arsenal are already engaged in talks with Newcastle United over one player, with another move potentially on the horizon.

The Gunners' pursuit of Bruno Guimaraes is moving slowly, as the Magpies captain prepares to return ahead of the new season – while interest in Tino Livramento is well-documented, even if Arsenal haven't made their move for the England full-back yet.

Intriguingly, though, could Newcastle have the perfect answer to Arsenal's reshuffle in attack?

Newcastle United's Nick Woltemade may well be the perfect fit for Arsenal

Nick Woltemade hit the ground running in the Premier League after Newcastle completed a club-record deal for the 23-year-old last summer – but as the season wore on, Woltemade hit stumbling blocks in his development, playing as a no.8 at times, as manager Eddie Howe pivoted to Will Osula up front.

As noted by The Athletic's Seb Stafford-Bloor in a post on X (formerly Twitter), the German has been the subject of several rumours of Newcastle making him available for loan – which Stafford-Bloor says are wide of the mark.

Nevertheless, perhaps while Arsenal are looking at Guimaraes and Livramento, the perfect forward signing for them this summer is staring them in the face.

A tall, technically adept forward capable of holding the ball up and dropping deep into the midfield sounds all too familiar to Arsenal fans – and given how badly the Gunners missed Kai Havertz during his injury-ravaged 2025/26, it seems amazing that Arteta hasn't considered looking for a like-for-like replacement.

An ambitious move for Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr is in the works, while Julian Alvarez from the other end of the city is an A-list target, too, but neither of them really offer what Havertz does in attack.

Granted, Woltemade isn't quite as industrious as his compatriot – he's a more deft and slight attacker, a better finisher, too – but given that Arsenal's alternative to their German no.9 is a polar opposite in Victor Gyokeres, why haven't the Gunners even been linked?

The answer, no doubt, lies in the fact that Woltemade is still deemed to be a huge asset to Newcastle, despite a trying debut campaign.

Given the funds invested in the German international and the currently transitional state of the club, FourFourTwo understands that it would take a monster bid to take Woltemade out of the north-east – just as it will for Guimaraes to move to the capital.

Arsenal's interest in Livramento, meanwhile, appears to have cooled for now with the injury to William Saliba suggesting that perhaps another centre-back is of more priority than a right-back.

Woltemade is worth €55 million, according to Transfermarkt. Arsenal host Coventry City to begin their title defence on Matchday 1 of the new season.

Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele is in talks to leave the club.

One of the biggest success stories of Luis Enrique's PSG revolution, Dembele won the Ballon d'Or last year after helping to capture the French club's first-ever Champions League title, before following it up with another European crown this season.

With the forward now 29, Dembele is said to be considering his options ahead of a monstrous move from the Saudi Pro League to lure another superstar to the Gulf State.

Ousmane Dembele the subject of interest from Al Hilal, with exit talks having begun

Hailed as a future star while at Borussia Dortmund, Dembele has had a complicated route to the summit of world football, via troubles at Barcelona and fluctuating form for the French national side.

The Norman native signed for PSG in 2023 but only really began to step into the spotlight following the departure of Kylian Mbappe, leading Les Parisiens into a European dynasty and becoming ever-more important for Didier Deschamps' France alongside the likes of Mbappe, and club-mates Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue.

According to Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri in a post on X (formerly Twitter), Al-Hilal are pushing to add Dembele to their ranks, having already signed West Ham United forward Crysensio Summerville this summer.

As just the 10th man to have won the Champions League, World Cup and Ballon d'Or, Dembele would represent a huge coup for the Saudi Pro League, with first contacts having already begun with Dembele's representatives.

Club-to-club talks with PSG are set to follow next, with FourFourTwo understanding that the European champions are reluctant to sanction a move.

PSG have already sold Goncalo Ramos this summer to Milan and are moving for Yan Diomande, though face competition for the Ivorian from the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal.

As a false nine in Luis Enrique's high-octane attack, Dembele has been invaluable but may wish to pursue a new project, given that he is now approaching 30.

In making the move to Saudi Arabia, Dembele could well become the first footballer in history to make two separate £100 million moves in his career, having joined Barcelona for a nine-figure fee back in 2017 when he replaced Neymar at Camp Nou.

The 29-year-old played just 22 times in Ligue 1 last term but still racked up 20 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions before netting a hat-trick at the World Cup against Norway, en route to the semi-finals of the competition.

Dembele is worth €100m, according to Transfermarkt.

Arsenal have dealt another blow in a transfer window that is proving to be an ongoing slog.

The Gunners have so far only landed a backup goalkeeper in Ilian Meslier and gambled on Greek forward Christos Tzolis, with the likes of Morgan Rogers escaping their grasp and a saga for Bruno Guimaraes proving to be testing.

With Arsenal potentially heading into the season with an injury crisis, too, further news that they won't be landing a preferred target to cover defensively is almost certain to leave fans concerned.

Arsenal 'unlikely' to land centre-back prospect, following 'contact'

With William Saliba bowing out of the World Cup semi-final against eventual champions Spain with a worrying back injury, Arsenal's summer transfer business was cast into doubt, with manager Mikel Arteta expected to secure a backup to the hugely important Frenchman.

Arsenal have since confirmed in a statement that Saliba will not be undergoing surgery as first reported – but the lack of a stylistic replacement to slot next to Gabriel is still a significant weakness in a defence who were imperious en route to a first Premier League title in 22 years.

Friday’s edition of Mundo Deportivo in Spain, relayed via Sport Witness, claims that the uncertainty over Saliba has led Arsenal to enquire about Real Sociedad starlet, Jon Martin.

Described as a “Basque lighthouse” who “deserves to be in the same breath” as leading Spanish centre-backs Pau Cubarsi and Dean Huijsen, by youth football expert Joe Donnohue in FourFourTwo's Boy's A Bit Special series, Martin has long been on Arsenal's radar.

While Sport Witness notes that both Arsenal and Real Madrid are capable of triggering the €60 million release clause required to secure the defender's services, it's the 20-year-old himself who reportedly wants to remain in San Sebastian for the foreseeable future.

This is similar to the path shown by the Gunners' Martin Zubimendi, who rejected advances from the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City in order to remain at La Real as long as possible – before moving to the Emirates Stadium last summer.

FourFourTwo understands that though Martin is a serious target for the North Londoners, however, a price upwards of £50m may prove to be too steep either way, for a star who is essentially a project player who is unlikely to oust Saliba from first-team contention.

The Gunners retain a serious interest in England star Ezri Konsa – thanks in part to the Aston Villa man's ability to play at right-back – while free agent John Stones has been mooted as a potential option to join on a short-term deal.

Ben White's imminent exit from N5 may be postponed by Saliba's rehabilitation instead, with FourFourTwo understanding that Newcastle United star Tino Livramento is another serious option to essentially take White's right-back role in the squad and allow his Three Lions team-mate to cover in the centre of defence.

Martin is worth €25m, according to Transfermarkt. Arsenal begin their Premier League defence against Frank Lampard's newly-promoted Coventry City.

Manchester United star Marcus Rashford's future is still in doubt – despite two years remaining on his current contract.

The England star fell out of favour at Old Trafford under Ruben Amorim – despite scoring the first goal of the Portuguese's ill-fated tenure – and has since spent the last 18 months on loan.

But with Rashford uncertain as to his next move and Manchester United wanting to make some money on the previously untouchable forward, there could be an uncomfortable transfer ahead for the Red Devils.

Manchester United might be forced into selling Marcus Rashford to a rival, after Barcelona move dried up

After spending last season on loan at Barcelona, the Catalan giants had a ridiculously cheap £26 million option in place to make Rashford their first English signing since Gary Lineker in the 1980s.

The La Liga champions instead dithered over that clause, and after signing Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United and adding further depth in the form of Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund, Rashford's dream move to Camp Nou – which FourFourTwo understands he was willing to take a pay cut to facilitate – has all but vanished.

Despite the lack of options on the table, The i reports that United don't want to sell within the Premier League.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have all been mooted as potential destinations for the 28-year-old, with both North London rivals in particular still on the hunt for a superstar left-winger.

The Gunners yesterday confirmed the arrival of Greek forward Christos Tzolis, while Spurs have failed to fully replace talismanic captain Son Heung-min – and while Chelsea have brought in another of England's World Cup contingent in Morgan Rogers recently, they have been known to take chances on Old Trafford rejects in recent years, such as Jadon Sancho and Alejandro Garnacho.

Rashford still earns upwards of £300,000 a week, however, which complicates matters, while United are said to be incredibly reluctant to see an academy graduate turn out for another of the division's so-called Big Six, given his high ceiling.

As of right now, Rashford is actually expected to return to the fold at Carrington – and given that he harbours no bad feelings towards United, he may well feature under manager Michael Carrick during preseason.

While Carrick would no doubt be open to using Rashford in rotation next season, the wages are a sticking point – and United's hierarchy are unlikely to want to make such a high-profile U-turn.

The England man's lack of defensive work-rate may yet exclude him from becoming an elite club's leading left-winger, with Serie A an option.

Rashford is worth €40m, as per Transfermarkt. United begin their Premier League season against Hull City.

Chelsea have already completed the British record transfer of Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa and confirmed the long-awaited signing of Geovany Quenda from Sporting CP, but their shopping for wide players and attacking midfielders might not be done just yet.

The Blues are also chasing Bosnia and Herzegovina youngster Karim Alajbegovic, who caught the eye at the World Cup after impressing in the Austrian league in the 2025-26.

Alajbegovic has emerged as one of the most in-demand young players in European football, with Chelsea understood to have seen off competition from several suitors in Italy’s Serie A to become the leading choice of destination for the 18-year-old.

Xabi Alonso ‘enthusiastic’ about Alajbegovic transfer

Winger Alajbegovic was called up for the World Cup squad with fewer than 10 senior caps to his name. The Cologne-born starlet soared through the age-group teams of Bosnia and Herzegovina, debuting for the under-15s just three years before his first team bow.

His lightning-quick trajectory now looks set to continue in club football too. He’s yet to play 30 senior league games but the Premier League is calling. According to The Telegraph, Chelsea’s pursuit is going to pay off.

“There are others interested in the player, including Juventus, but Chelsea now look the most likely to do the deal with Leverkusen,” reports Sam Wallace.

“[Xabi] Alonso was at Leverkusen when Alajbegovic came through the club’s development system although he is yet to make his professional debut for the team.”

Atalanta and Fiorentina have also been credited with an interest in the teenager, who spent five years at Leverkusen after playing the bulk of his junior football at Cologne.

He joined Red Bull Salzburg last summer without playing for Leverkusen’s first team but returned at the end of last season thanks to a very low buyback clause. The 18-year-old appears destined to move on again without playing a game.

“Alonso is understood to be enthusiastic about the move for Alajbegovic, with Alejandro Garnacho now on his way to Aston Villa,” adds Wallace.

Alajbegovic, who will turn 19 in September, came off the bench in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s draw with Canada at the start of the World Cup 2026 group stage and started all three subsequent matches.

The Leverkusen teenager showcased his technical ability by scoring his nation’s first goal in a 3-1 win over Qatar in Seattle, a result that took them through and set up a meeting with co-hosts the United States in the round of 32.

The World Cup was preceded by an excellent season in Austria, where Alajbegovic played 28 Bundesliga matches for Red Bull and scored nine league goals as his team finished one point short of the title.

Manchester United have struck an agreement for France international.

The Red Devils have kicked off their summer rebuild under new manager Michael Carrick with four new signings and a couple of failed pursuits, as the club prepares for a return to the Champions League.

While Elliot Anderson and Matheus Fernandes have ended up with rivals, Manchester United have brought in Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans, Karl Darlow and Tynan Thompson – and look to be making further in-roads to strengthen their midfield.

Manchester United strike agreement for Manu Kone, ahead of the likes of Arsenal

According to Thursday’s edition of Corriere dello Sport, via Sport Witness, United have reached an agreement in principle with Manu Kone over a move to the Premier League.

FourFourTwo understands that the Roma star is also on Arsenal's radar in the event that a move for Bruno Guimaraes doesn't come to fruition, while Kone is courting interest from the Saudi Pro League.

The Italian outlet cites a fee of €60m for Kone, with that figure likely to come down further and Sport Witness claiming that €45m plus bonuses may be enough to secure the Frenchman's signature.

The 25-year-old is currently on holiday, having been a consistent performer for France during the World Cup.

After Eduardo Camavinga was surprisingly omitted from Didier Deschamps' final tournament selection as Les Bleus boss, Kone was given the nod in midfield against Paraguay and Morocco in the knockout stage ahead of the likes of youngster Warren Zaire-Emery and veteran N'Golo Kante.

The central midfielder impressed, too, and has enjoyed a rise to prominence in the last year since moving to Serie A from Borussia Monchengladbach.

Having already signed two midfielders this summer in Santos and Tielemans, Carrick is said to be interested in a third, with a move for Atalanta's Ederson having broken down in the 11th hour.

The move away from a back three has placed more emphasis on Kobbie Mainoo's talents in the centre of the park, though Casemiro's exit from the club – combined with a return to European competition next term – means that Carrick would like extra depth across the side.

United are also said to be in the market for full-backs, while another forward to cover the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko may be signed, too.

Kone is worth €50m, according to Transfermarkt. Manchester United kick off the 2026/27 Premier League season away to Hull City.

James Trafford’s second spell at Manchester City looks certain to be brief. After just four Premier League appearances, the former Burnley goalkeeper is heading for the Etihad Stadium exit.

Man City brought Trafford back to the club from the Clarets last summer but immediately jumped at the opportunity to sign Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain.

The Azzurri skipper played the other 34 league matches last season and 23-year-old Trafford’s belief that he was returning to Manchester as Pep Guardiola’s number one quickly crumbled.

Newcastle ‘no longer considering’ Trafford as other options are explored

According to The Athletic, Newcastle United previously saw Trafford as their first choice to succeed Nick Pope but are ‘no longer considering a move’ for the England goalkeeper, preferring instead to review alternatives reportedly including Brighton & Hove Albion’s former Coventry City loanee Carl Rushworth and Parma stopper Zion Suzuki having also moved to sign French U21 goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen from Reims in early June.

Premier League rivals Leeds United are closing in on Trafford instead. They’re in the market for a goalkeeper after Karl Darlow’s move to Manchester United, though that move was likely informed in part by Leeds’ plan to bring in a number one regardless.

As talks progress between Leeds and Man City, Daniel Farke can be confident that Trafford will be persuaded that Elland Road is the right destination for him. Trafford’s desire for first team football and an international opening are goals Leeds can help with.

“It is no secret Trafford wants to play far more regularly than he did with City last season and he would be the undisputed No.1 at Elland Road,” reports Leeds correspondent Beren Cross.

“The West Yorkshire outfit will also lean on the platform they gave Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Anton Stach in returning to their national teams.

“Leeds will hope Trafford can be their long-term solution between the sticks. Illan Meslier has finally moved on after a prolonged demise of his Elland Road career.

“Lucas Perri endured a difficult first season in England. Meanwhile, Karl Darlow has left, but even if he had stayed, it is unlikely he would have been No.1 in the upcoming campaign.”

Should the transfer be completed, Trafford wouldn’t return to the Etihad Stadium until Leeds’ visit to Man City in the Premier League fixture in December.

Although he struggled for league minutes there, playing only the first three matches and the last against Aston Villa, Trafford was ever-present in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. City won both competitions while conceding just five goals in their 12 ties. Trafford kept clean sheets in both Wembley finals.

The Cumbrian goalkeeper joined City’s junior ranks from Carlisle United in 2015 and made his name at Burnley after loan spells with Accrington Stanley and Bolton Wanderers. He played 28 times for the Turf Moor club in his debut Premier League season.

Arsenal midfielder Christian Norgaard is incredibly unlikely to depart the Emirates Stadium this summer.

That's according to one source in Denmark, which says the 32-year-old is so committed to life in North London that he would “play for free” if he could and turn his back on a previously mooted transfer.

Norgaard only made seven Premier League appearances in his first season, and was previously considered a dead cert to leave Arsenal after just 12 months – though apparently, it's “not a possibility in this transfer window”.

Christian Norgaard is living his 'lifelong dream' at Arsenal - despite the lack of gametime

Tipsbladet journalist Farzam Abolhosseini has insisted that Norgaard will not leave Arsenal this summer, going so far as to say it's “not a possibility”.

“I will be shocked if it happened,” Abolhosseini claimed on the outlet's podcast Podimo. “I think people sometimes forget just how big an Arsenal fan he is. You just have to look at those photos from a year ago, when he was introduced.

“His lifelong dream is coming true, and he gets to see his son wear the Arsenal jersey, when he himself has supported the club his whole life.

“I’m almost convinced he’d play for them for free. It means so much to him. From that perspective, I just can’t see him being willing to leave.”

The comments come as some surprise, with Norgaard having gone from playing 34 times as Brentford captain in Thomas Frank's final season at the Gtech to starting just once in the Premier League all season, when Arsenal won the title.

The Dane signed a two-year contract last summer but confirmed in October last year that the Gunners would be his final club overseas before returning home to Brondby.

“I can guarantee that Arsenal will be my last club abroad: I still want to return to Brondby when my contract at Arsenal expires,” Norgaard claimed.

“My contract is two years with an option for a further year. And I would be happy to stay at Arsenal for the extra year if things develop in that direction. If it turns out that it wasn't the right match, we'll go home to Denmark after two years.”

FourFourTwo understands that Arsenal's recent move for Bruno Guimaraes is still alive and that manager Mikel Arteta remains keen to add another midfielder to his ranks before the season begins, with Norgaard one of four central midfielders alongside Englishmen Declan Rice and Myles Lewis-Skelly, as well as World Cup winner Martin Zubimendi.

Norgaard is worth €5m, according to Transfermarkt. Arsenal take on newly-promoted Coventry City in their 2026/27 Premier League curtain-raiser.

Istanbul. It’s not just the home of Turkey’s most famous clubs but a city whose very name carries huge historical weight for football supporters far and wide.

Aston Villa joined their ranks in May. Mention Istanbul in earshot of a Villa supporter now and their mind will instantly conjure up memories of Besiktas Stadium, Freiburg, the Europa League final and a first European trophy for 44 years.

Two of Villa’s scorers in their 3-0 win have been sold in the last week. Youri Tielemans, whose thumping volley broke the deadlock, is now a Manchester United player. Morgan Rogers prodded in Villa’s third and has since signed for Chelsea.

Why are Villa signing Alejandro Garnacho?

Tielemans’ departure was lubricated by a £35 million release clause. If Villa had any choice in the matter, it was when the Belgium captain signed rather than when he was sold.

Rogers attracted a British record transfer fee of £117 million. For a club in dire need of a windfall to help ease the pressure of complying with financial regulations and their agreement with UEFA, the practical reality of a boost like that speaks for itself.

No sooner had the sale of Rogers been confirmed than speculation about a loan deal for Chelsea winger Alejandro Garnacho crystallised. It’s understood that Villa have agreed terms with the Blues for a season-long loan with a conditional obligation to buy him at the end of the season.

That wording is important. Under UEFA transfer regulations, a permanent transfer for Garnacho would be considered as a swap deal if it were agreed in this summer transfer window and within 45 days. In this case, those criteria are one and the same.

By agreeing an obligation that will be triggered somewhere down the road, Villa and Chelsea hope to avoid the Rogers and Garnacho transfers being linked. There’s no guarantee they will succeed.

Reporting around the Garnacho agreement has referred to the positive relationship between the two clubs and the implications are obvious, but none of the neatly tied-off ends answer the biggest question. Do Villa actually want Garnacho?

To say Garnacho will arrive at Bodymoor Heath with some baggage would be an understatement.

The 22-year-old played 144 times for Manchester United but was effectively exiled under Ruben Amorim, joining Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Tyrell Malacia and Antony in the so-called Bomb Squad.

Could Garnacho be the ultimate Emery project?

He will become the third of those players to link up with Unai Emery and Villa on loan. Rashford and Sancho were brought in with question marks over their professional suitability and both left having answered those doubts.

Rehabilitating unwanted Man United wingers is an unusual hobby, but Emery is an unusual manager. Garnacho wouldn’t be a Villa player without his blessing.

There will be expectations on Garnacho at Villa that he’ll have to grow up to meet. After a brief layover at Stamford Bridge, the Argentina international has been deemed talented enough to warrant the risk.

Loans for Rashford, Sancho and Garnacho aren’t examples of Villa seizing on opportunities to bring in players they wouldn’t ordinarily be able to attract, but gutsy statements that Emery believes he’s a better manager than Amorim and Michael Carrick.

Almost every player who’s pulled on a Villa shirt since Emery was appointed in 2022 has improved and the manager clearly fancies himself to do what United and Chelsea couldn’t.

Garnacho’s reputation suggests he could be Emery’s greatest loan challenge yet, notwithstanding last season’s Harvey Elliott debacle.

Villa have a robust dressing room culture capable of keeping troubled and troublesome younger members in check but Tielemans, Rogers and Lucas Digne were respected leaders in the squad.

Their departures have already presented Emery and Villa with a test of their substance at the same time as rebuilding the team without stopping. Throwing Garnacho in at the same time is bold, to say the least.

In FourFourTwo’s opinion, the best-case scenario is worth the effort. If Emery can Garnacho playing at his best, he’ll offer something Villa need in wide areas but haven’t had for some time.

In Emery’s two-man midfield and line of three behind a striker, Villa are morphing into a new proposition; Johan Manzambi and Joao Gomes are different than the players they’ll succeed.

An unpredictable, incisive, fiery winger looks like an exciting addition on paper. Emery’s job is to make sure that the ‘Garnacho’ on the back of his shirt doesn’t still imply in May what it does in July.

Spain’s players will kick off the 2026-27 season as world champions for the second time in 16 years and the opportunity to sign them could be too tempting for the biggest clubs to refuse.

Real Madrid suffered the ignominy of a Spain squad being named for the World Cup without a single one of their players. Marc Cucurella subsequently joined from Chelsea and Real Madrid president Florentino Perez appears to be willing to add at least one more.

Recent reports indicate that the capital club have agreed terms with Spain’s captain and the World Cup Golden Ball winner, but doubts remain over the possible transfer.

‘Little substance’ in Rodri to Real Madrid rumours

Manchester City midfielder Rodri has been heavily linked with a return to Spain to join Los Blancos. According to TEAMtalk, Rodri has decided to leave the Premier League and prefers a move to Real Madrid.

“Sources with knowledge of the situation have told us that the Spain international has decided he wants to embark on a new challenge,” reports Graeme Bailey.

“Rodri believes he still has plenty to offer at the highest level and feels the opportunity to join Real Madrid has come at the right stage of his career.”

Yet while the prospect of the 30-year-old lining up in a white shirt in August appears to be coming into view, doubts are emerging in Madrid.

AS reports that a deal is far from done and that club sources have been clear that there is ‘little substance’ to claims that Rodri and Real Madrid have already agreed on terms.

“Club officials grew frustrated by the repeated use of Madrid’s name despite there being no contact between the parties,” writes Jose Felix Diaz. “Sources indicate that Madrid executives even reached out to their counterparts at City to deny the alleged discussions.

Rodri, the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, is admired by senior figures at Real Madrid but AS suggests that one in particular plans to shape the team in a way that casts doubt on the viability of a move for the former Villarreal and Atletico Madrid midfielder.

Real Madrid returned to a familiar face to succeed Alvaro Arbeloa as manager. Jose Mourinho is back after three seasons in charge at the Bernabeu between 2010 and 2013, and his appointment could be the biggest obstacle between Rodri and a move back to Spain.

“Mourinho’s Madrid is currently moving toward a different footballing model, one that is less possession-oriented and less dependent on the kind of cerebral, controlling midfield presence Rodri provides,” reports Diaz.

“That said, the club continues to hold the Spain international in the highest regard.”

Real Madrid have been active in the transfer market this summer after two trophyless seasons.

Cucurella and Inter Milan right-back Denzel Dumfries have both been acquired for fees along with the free transfers of ex-Liverpool central defender Ibrahima Konate and Bernardo Silva, Rodri’s former teammate at the Etihad Stadium.

Tottenham Hotspur may be handed a favour by Arsenal in the transfer market, as they shop for an attacker to complete their frontline.

The North London rivals had contrasting campaigns last season, with Tottenham scraping relegation with survival secured on the final day, while Arsenal lifted the Premier League trophy.

But with the Gunners and the Lilywhites looking to strengthen this summer, one Hale End attacker could prove to be the key man in Spurs landing a top forward.

Tottenham Hotspur looking at star forward – with long-time Arsenal man on the move

Arsenal are biding their time in the transfer market this summer, with FourFourTwo understanding that the Premier League champions are refusing to budge on their internal valuations of targets, as sporting director Andrea Berta looks to strengthen across the side.

Spurs, meanwhile, have already completed several signings in goal, in defence and midfield, with Norwegian hero Andreas Schjelderup – who scored against England in the World Cup quarter-finals – eyed to fill Roberto De Zerbi's left-wing role.

The £43 million Benfica man moving to the Premier League would have a knock-on effect, according to Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manhã, with new boss Marco Silva trying to convince Schjelderup to stay in Lisbon.

The report states, however, that should the star depart the Primeira Liga, Arsenal winger Reiss Nelson is high on Silva's wishlist, with the former Fulham gaffer having worked with the 26-year-old at Craven Cottage, during a loan spell in 2024/25.

Nelson started Mikel Arteta's first game in charge of Arsenal in 2019, and has sporadically appeared across the Basque's tenure, most notably netting a 97th-minute winner against Bournemouth in 2023 when the North Londoners were on course for the title – though injuries have limited his development, with the former England youth player going on loan not just to Fulham, but Brentford and Feyenoord since Arteta took the reins.

The winger is the last player still under contract at Arsenal to have appeared under Arsene Wenger – making his first-team Premier League debut in 2018 – and has since played under the likes of Arne Slot and Julian Nagelsmann while out on loan.

Schjelderup's future appears to be far from straightforward, however, with Benfica president Rui Costa claiming this week that it has “not been communicated to us” that the Norway international will leave Estadio Da Luz.

“[Schjelderup] is on holiday and will soon return to Benfica. As of today, Benfica have not received any proposal,” O Jogo quotes the legendary no.10 as having said.

FourFourTwo understands that Spurs are still also targeting Savinho from Manchester City, with the Brazilian capable of playing on either flank.

Nelson is valued at €8m, as per Transfermarkt.