Newcastle are preparing for Liverpool to return with a new bid of between £120-130m for their Sweden forward Alexander Isak, 25. (Teamtalk), external
Wolves are facing a fight to keep Norway striker Jorgen Strand Larsen, as Newcastle are pushing to sign the 25-year-old for around £60m. (Express and Star), external
Manchester United have informed Napoli that they are open to both a loan with an option or obligation to buy for their Denmark forward Rasmus Hojlund, 22. (Fabrizio Romano), external
Everton are interested in signing Manchester City and Netherlands defender Nathan Ake, 30, to reinforce their defence. (Mail), external
Manchester United are hoping Tottenham will enter the race to sign Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho, 21, and provide competition to Chelsea. (Givemesport), external
Roma's hopes of signing England winger Jadon Sancho, 25, from Manchester United may rest on whether his agent reduces the 10m euros (£8.6m) commission they want for the deal to happen. (Corriere della Sport in Italian), external
Real Betis are still hopeful of signing Manchester United and Brazil winger Antony, 25, but have put the onus on the Premier League club to make a decision over his future. (Mail), external
Tottenham are interested in French attacking midfielder Maghnes Akliouche, 23, at Monaco and Como and Argentina international Nico Paz, 20. (Telegraph - subscription required), external
Spurs are also exploring the possibility of signing France forward Christopher Nkunku, 27, from Chelsea. (Teamtalk), external
Nottingham Forest have contacted Aston Villa about bringing Poland full-back Matty Cash, 28, back to the club and have also made an offer to sign Sevilla's Spanish right-back, Jose Angel Carmona, 23. (Mail), external
West Ham have agreed to loan Mexico international Edson Alvarez, 27, to Fenerbahce and are tracking Werder Bremen and Austria midfielder Romano Schmid, 25, and are interested in Lens' French midfielder Andy Diouf, 22. (Guardian), external
However, Inter Milan are confident of securing Diouf on a five-year contract in a deal that could be worth around 25m euros to the Ligue 1 club. (£21.6m). (La Gazzetta dello Sport in Italian), external
Crystal Palace will attempt to gazump Everton in the race to sign Southampton's English winger Tyler Dibling, 19, by making a £35m-plus bid for the teenager. (Givemesport), external
Borussia Dortmund expect to complete a deal to sign Wolves and Portugal forward Fabio Silva, 23, imminently. (Bild in German), external
Ipswich Town have made an offer to Mexican side Club America for Uruguayan international defender Sebastian Caceres. (Ipswich Star), external
Meanwhile Ipswich are also reported to have agreed a deal worth £12m to sign Leicester City winger Kasey McAteer. (East Anglian Daily Times), external
Oxford United look to have won the race to sign Rangers defender Ben Davies on loan with Birmingham City and QPR also rumoured to have been interested. (The 72), external
Hull City are keen to sign Liverpool attacker Lewis Koumas on loan with Sheffield United and Wrexham also believed to be interested in the 19-year-old. (The 72)
Sky Paper Talk
THE GUARDIAN
Tottenham have suffered another injury blow as Dejan Kulusevski is expected to be out until around the turn of the year.
THE ATHLETIC
Borussia Monchengladbach are in talks over a deal to sign USMNT international Gio Reyna from Borussia Dortmund.
Borussia Dortmund are interested in signing Chelsea defender Aaron Anselmino on loan.
DAILY MAIL
Manuel Akanji is debating his future after Galatasaray hit Manchester City's valuation of the defender.
Crystal Palace are exploring a move for Villarreal attacking midfielder Yeremy Pino as they continue to evaluate options to replace Eberechi Eze.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
The Hundred's most successful franchise, Oval Invincibles, are expected to rebrand as MI London, the first choice of their Indian co-owners.
DAILY MIRROR
Barcelona and Oriol Romeu are set to part ways 10 months early in order to allow the La Liga champions to register players in their squad.
Manchester United have promoted wonderkid JJ Gabriel to train with the first team after Ruben Amorim was impressed by his performances.
THE TIMES
Morgan Rogers has insisted he is happy at Aston Villa amid transfer links to other Premier League clubs.
Guardian Rumour mill
Yara El-Shaboury
With only 10 days left in the transfer window, the rumour mill is in overdrive, churning out gossip faster than a manager can find an excuse for a poor performance. Eberechi Eze, a man beloved in south London, is having a bit of a moment. A few weeks ago, it looked as if he was heading to Tottenham. But then, Arsenal, with a dramatic swoop, hijacked the deal, leaving Tottenham at the altar with a bouquet of wilted ambitions.
Eze’s medical for his switch to the Emirates Stadium is reportedly imminent. For Arsenal, it is brilliant business, securing a player who can pull the strings in their push for a Premier League title under Mikel Arteta. For Palace, it’s a wake-up call. They have lost their prized possession and need a replacement. Palace are now scrambling through a frantic game of musical chairs, and they’ve just lost their most comfortable seat. Their first port of call? Yeremy Pino, the 22-year-old who registered four goals and 10 assists for Villarreal in all competitions last season. The player has a £67m release clause, but Palace will hope to pay less than that to secure his signature. Palace have reportedly made contact, trying to understand what it would take to lure him away from La Liga, but Villarreal are not keen on selling.
But there is another name on their list. Palace are also reportedly considering Southampton’s Tyler Dibling. This is a classic transfer saga in the making, with Palace looking to gazump Everton, who have been chasing Dibling all summer but have never quite caught up with Southampton’s valuation. Now, Palace are ready to step in with a bid that could reach £45m including add-ons.
As for Tottenham, the sting of being jilted by Eze has left them with a serious problem. They are now desperately searching for a new attacker, and the rest of the world knows it, which puts them in a tricky spot. Every club with a player Tottenham want now has the upper hand, and the asking prices will most likely be inflated. The latest name on their radar is Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche, a France Under-21s attacking midfielder who has had two standout seasons in Ligue 1. Will he be the one to heal their broken heart? Only time – and a hefty transfer fee – will tell.
Over at Aston Villa, they are playing a delicate game of financial Jenga, trying to stay within the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules. They have already had to sell the academy graduate Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle, a move that led to some cryptic social media messages from their captain and vice-captain. Despite this, Villa are pushing to sign the Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson. Unai Emery coached Jackson at Villarreal and the two reportedly have a strong relationship. Jackson has been pushed down the pecking order at Chelsea, despite signing a nine-year contract last season. He is valued at more than £60m by Chelsea and Villa have initially asked about a loan deal.
Finally, we head to Germany, where Gio Reyna’s time at Borussia Dortmund seems to be coming to an end. The American has had a bumpy ride, marked by injuries and a serious lack of playing time. He has started only 14 Bundesliga games since the 2021-22 season and it seems his long-awaited exit is finally nearing, with talks reportedly opened with Borussia Mönchengladbach. His contract expires next summer, and the feeling at Dortmund is a long-term extension does not make sense for anyone.
The Athletic
What is West Ham United’s attacking blueprint?
By Sukhman Singh
Opening-day defeats are often brushed off. A new season buys you time, a few weeks of hope, even if the football is scratchy. For West Ham United, though, the 3-0 loss away to newly promoted Sunderland felt like last season bleeding straight into this. Optimism barely survived half an hour.
Since David Moyes’ departure at the end of 2023-24, this team has drifted between structures and struggled to settle on an identity; not quite a possession side, not quite a counter-attacking one. Graham Potter inherited that midway through last season and has not resolved it.
Like Chelsea, they had most of the ball on the opening weekend but ended with little to show for it.
Next up they face the FIFA Club World Cup champions at home.
The Sunderland numbers said it all: 63 per cent possession, four shots on target, 0.56 expected goals (xG). And this was no one-off. It was the same theme that dragged through last season — plenty of control, little incision, a side that can keep the ball but not make it count. For a season now, West Ham have struggled to turn play into goals.
The bigger picture is damning. They produced 815 shot-creating actions (SCAs) last season — more than 21 per 90 minutes. That was eighth-best in the league, ahead of Nottingham Forest (798) and Aston Villa (849), close to Tottenham Hotspur (875). Yet those actions turned into only 46 league goals. Arsenal turned 969 SCAs into 91 goals. Liverpool 1,151 into 86. Even Brentford, with 780, scored more.
Then came the sale of Mohammed Kudus. The Ghana forward did not just leave behind key numbers — he left behind a way of playing.
Last season, he attempted 213 dribbles, the most in the league, and completed 92, the second most. He led West Ham for progressive receptions, progressive carries, attacking-third touches and penalty-area touches. He had 16 shot-creating actions through carries, more than any other attacker in the squad.
Kudus was often the outlet, the carrier and the one who could drag the team up the pitch. That was visible in his new colours at Tottenham, where he set up two goals on debut against Burnley. Thomas Frank used Bryan Mbeumo in a similar role for Brentford last season.
It will not simply be about replacing goals or assists when it comes to Kudus. Losing him strips away West Ham’s ability to resist pressure, to break a line, to make defenders uncomfortable. He was their release valve when games were tight. Without him, they look narrower, more predictable and easier to defend against. There is no like-for-like replacement in the squad, and that is the issue Potter has to solve.
Jarrod Bowen is a goalscorer who leads the team in almost every attacking metric. His best work comes closer to goal, arriving onto chances. Niclas Fullkrug and Callum Wilson are the same: their strengths lie centrally and in front of goal. Which means progression and width have to come from deeper runners. Last year, Aaron Wan-Bissaka grew into that role, adding much more thrust from full-back. This season the demand is even bigger.
Lucas Paqueta offers them a different kind of hope. His quality is not in question, but his best comes when he roams and risks and Potter’s system demands control. Under Moyes, the Brazil midfielder flourished — he averaged more than six progressive passes and three shot-creating actions per 90 in 2023-24 — numbers that made him creator and disruptor. Moyes even called him a “special player” who made him rethink 36 years of management.
If Potter can find the balance, Paqueta is the one who can turn circulation into purpose.
Chelsea’s recent transfer windows only highlight the gap between the two London sides. They misfired against Crystal Palace last Sunday but have options to rotate until something works. West Ham cannot. They have to make their system work, or the season risks drifting already. That difference matters more when two promoted sides won on the opening weekend and looked the part.
The summer window has been uninspiring. Jean-Clair Todibo was already in place and full-back Kyle Walker-Peters is tidy enough in build-up play, but neither changes how West Ham enter the box. Goalkeeper Mads Hermansen arrived for his distribution skills but was beaten cheaply at Sunderland, and his Premier League record — one clean sheet in 28 games — only raises more questions.
That is why El Hadji Malick Diouf feels like the signing who adds the most threat.
The left-back’s profile stands out in a squad still searching for a clear attacking edge. Last season’s SkillCorner radar shows him elite for underlapping runs (96th percentile), overlapping runs (82nd) and lateral runs (93rd), with strong numbers for coming short (82nd). At Slavia Prague, he averaged 5.70 crosses per 90 — Emerson Palmieri managed 2.71, Wan-Bissaka 2.17, Oliver Scarles 2.03.
His FBref profile over the last 365 days puts him in the 98th percentile for shot-creating actions per 90 (3.92), 96th for expected assisted goals (0.22), 99th for shots (2.22) and 97th for non-penalty xG (0.14). There is clear potential there. This is repeatable box access from the left, a constant outlet for his team-mates; not a like-for-like Kudus replacement, but a structural fix for the same problem.
With Bowen tucked closer to goal, Fullkrug attacking the near post and Tomas Soucek arriving late, it is a supply line that makes sense.
However, Chelsea will bring problems for Diouf.
Down his side, he will have to deal with Reece James overlapping, Pedro Neto running directly at him and Cole Palmer drifting inside. Off the bench, Estevao made a bright debut against Crystal Palace and will test him, too. For all the excitement about what the Senegal full-back can add going forward, this will be a real test of whether he can hold up defensively.
Alongside that, Soucek could restore balance. His aerial ability and late runs into the box still make him a scoring threat, and with Diouf delivering from the left, he becomes a natural target again. He brings Premier League experience and adds stability leadership qualities. He could well start this game.
But this game is about showing there is a plan. Potter must find a way to feed Fullkrug and Bowen with the service they thrive on, and to ensure the basics at the back are mastered.
The loss away to Sunderland underlined how much work is still to be done. Against Chelsea, Potter’s side must demonstrate they have a clear idea how they want to attack.
Guardian
Transfer latest: Edson Álvarez loan gives West Ham chance to recruit
Jacob Steinberg and Ben Fisher
West Ham will step up their hunt for midfield reinforcements after reaching an agreement to loan Edson Álvarez to Fenerbahce. The departure of the Mexico international gives the club extra funds to bring in new players.
West Ham want Álvarez’s wages of £115,000 a week off the books and have been waiting for him to agree to a season-long loan to Fenerbahce, who have included an option to buy in the deal. Álvarez has fallen from favour under Graham Potter, who is looking to add energy and creativity to his midfield. West Ham want two midfielders – one to sit deep and control play, another to operate in an advanced role – and have identified a number of targets.
João Mário, Cristhian Mosquera and Marcus Rashford
Men’s transfer window summer 2025: all deals from Europe’s top five leagues
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West Ham, who opened their campaign with a 3-0 loss to Sunderland, lodged unsuccessful bids for Southampton’s Mateus Fernandes, Barcelona’s Marc Casadó and Chelsea’s Andrey Santos this week. Their improved offer of £30m plus £2m add-ons for Fernandes fell well below Southampton’s valuation of the 21-year-old. Southampton are likely to strengthen their financial position and boost their chances of keeping the Portuguese midfielder by selling the England under-21 winger Tyler Dibling to Everton.
Potter views Fernandes as his ideal No 8, but West Ham are not willing to meet Southampton’s asking price of £50m and will consider other options. The club are tracking Werder Bremen’s Romano Schmid and are interested in the Lens midfielder Andy Diouf.
West Ham are scouting extensively in France and like the 21-year-old Rennes midfielder Djaoui Cissé, who is reportedly a target for Inter. They are also looking at the Eredivisie and have added Ajax’s Kenneth Taylor to a list that already contains Feyernoord’s Quinten Timber. Another player of interest is Torino’s Ivan Ilic.
A possible affordable option to play further forward is Getafe’s Christantus Uche. The 22-year-old Nigerian can play as an attacking midfielder and up front. Uche scored and made a goal in Getafe’s win over Celta Vigo last Sunday.
West Ham remain open to offers for Guido Rodríguez and Andy Irving. They have signed four players this summer and have not been working with a big budget. Concerns over meeting the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability regulations forced them to wait for Mohammed Kudus to join Tottenham for £55m before making signings.
Sport Witness
‘Relationship deteriorating’ and transfer to West Ham getting likelier by the day
By Kaustubh Pandey
On Thursday, Corriere dello Sport reported West Ham are now pushing hard to sign AS Roma midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini.
The Italian is on his way out of the Italian side, as his current contract runs out in the summer of 2026 and there’s been no sign of a renewal being on offer.
Today’s Corriere dello Sport reports the temptation of London can prove to be attractive for Pellegrini and his family – more so than the idea of playing in Saudi Arabia. That is why a move to West Ham is a clear possibility.
The newspaper report that the Hammers are insisting on closing a deal for the 29-year-old quickly, as Roma are now desperate to sell the player.
Pellegrini’s exit from the Stadio Olimpico will help the Giallorossi save up to €10m gross. This will help them steer clear of any potential Financial Fair Play sanctions.
Manager Gian Piero Gasperini is not keen on making the Italy international a major part of his squad. With the ‘relationship deteriorating’ between the two parties, and divorce said to be close, the club captain is giving a transfer to West Ham serious thought.
Pellegrini recently had nose surgery and hasn’t been training with the group.
Sport Witness
West Ham want 2 Barcelona players – Ready to formalise offer, player out of training
By Naveen Ullal
Over the past two days, the Catalan media have covered West Ham United’s interest in Barcelona’s Marc Casadó. On Thursday, Sport reported the Hammers want to sign him ‘no matter what’.
A fresh report from Sport backs up West Ham’s desire to sign the midfielder this summer. They add the Premier League club also want to sign his Barcelona teammate, Héctor Fort.
Fort is behind Jules Koundé for the right-back position at the Camp Nou. Barcelona face Levante in the league this weekend and the 19-year-old wasn’t seen arriving at the club’s facilities on Friday morning.
Sport report this is because the La Liga winners have granted him permission to sort out his future, which could be at West Ham. They are ready to formalise a loan offer and are waiting for an exit, likely to make advances.
Other clubs have shown interest in the youngster, but the deal with the London club is on right track and could be completed next week.
West Ham initially showed interest in Casadó, who is reluctant to leave the Camo Nou. During their talks with Barcelona for the 21-year-old midfielder, the option of signing Fort emerged.
Luckily for the English club, the fullback would prioritise joining them over other, but on loan. The report states the player and Barca want a quick resolution and barring any last-minute surprises, West Ham will be his next destination.
There could be movements quickly as another report from Sport claims Fort hasn’t been training today. They add he’s evaluated several offers and will make an imminent decision on his next move.
Football Espana
West Ham leading race for Barcelona defender absent from training
By Ruairidh Barlow
Barcelona are seeking to tie up several exits before the end of the transfer window in order to ease their registration issues this summer, with Gerard Martin, Roony Bardghji and Wojciech Szczesny all unavailable currently. One of the players on their way out is full-back Hector Fort.
The 19-year-old right-back, who has also performed on the left side, has seen his role reduced to an afterthought under Hansi Flick after a promising breakout campaign under Xavi Hernandez. Eric Garcia is now the de facto alternative to Jules Kounde ahead of him.
West Ham United leading race for Fort
After making a move for Marc Casado, West Ham United have now put their cards on the table for Fort. Sport say that Fort is open to the move, and a potential wage rise, albeit he would only want to move on loan. He has made it a condition for any move that the deal is a simple loan without an option or obligation to buy. The teenager still wants to succeed at Barcelona, and his plan is to continue his development to return next summer.
Alternatives for Hector Fort
Fort has been linked with a move to RCD Mallorca too, but they are still waiting on the departure of Pablo Maffeo before they confirm the move. However Everton have also looked at Fort, and could provide competition to West Ham United. Como have also enquired about Fort. On Friday, Fort did not attend training, as he has been given permission to negotiate his exit.
Fort and Flick have not clicked
The Blaugrana talent was tipped for a bigger role last season before the arrival of Flick, but struggled to convince the German manager he deserved it. Last season Fort featured for just 638 minutes, and in April was seen expressing his frustration at that fact on the pitch. Flick publicly chastised Fort thereafter, and it seems an exit could do his development some good.