Tottenham, Arsenal, and United in Summer Transfer Frenzy
The World Cup is supposed to slow everything down. Not this summer. Across England’s elite, chequebooks are open, plans are being ripped up in real time and the numbers are starting to look surreal.
Spurs go all‑in: Fernandes in for £85m, Tonali for £100m, Kroupi next
Tottenham are behaving like a club that has run out of patience with half-measures.
A day after striking a £100million agreement for Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali, Spurs have confirmed the £85m capture of Mateus Fernandes from West Ham – a club-record fee, broken twice in 48 hours.
Fernandes, 21, has signed a six-year deal and arrives as the new centrepiece of Roberto De Zerbi’s midfield. The Italian coach has long been an admirer and did not hide why.
“I've admired Mateus for a long time because he combines quality on the ball with the intensity and intelligence that are so important in the way we want to play,” De Zerbi said, pointing to his Premier League experience, ability under pressure and willingness to take responsibility in difficult moments. For a manager obsessed with structure and bravery on the ball, Fernandes looks tailor-made.
The player himself underlined the pull of De Zerbi.
“Spurs is a massive club and the Head Coach was a key part of why I have decided to join,” Fernandes said. “We look at football in the same way – going onto the pitch as a strong team, with fight and energy, to try and win every game.”
Spurs are not stopping there. Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi, 20, has been lined up as the next marquee arrival, with the south-coast club demanding more than £80m. Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are in the race, but De Zerbi wants his business done before pre-season begins next week, and Tottenham’s intent is clear.
They are also keeping a close eye on AC Milan star Rafael Leao and Manchester City’s Savinho. This is no gentle rebuild. It is an attempted leap.
Arsenal test Newcastle’s resolve and sense an opening with Barcola
Across north London, Arsenal are pushing hard in two directions at once: to prise a captain out of Newcastle and to exploit a shift in stance in Paris.
The Gunners have explored a move for Bruno Guimaraes, holding initial talks with the Brazilian’s representatives to understand his situation. An informal proposal of around £55m followed, a figure that always looked short of Newcastle’s valuation but hinted at encouragement from the player’s side.
Newcastle rejected it. The Chronicle now report that the process itself may have left a mark, with fears at St James’ Park that Guimaraes has had his head turned by Arsenal’s pursuit. For a player who has become the heartbeat of the club, even that possibility is destabilising.
On the flanks, Arsenal’s search for a left winger has led them repeatedly to Bradley Barcola. Paris Saint-Germain had initially shut the door, insisting the France international was not for sale. That line has softened.
Barcola is reported to be reluctant to sign a new deal at PSG as he pushes for more starts next season. The French champions are now said to be open to a sale for the right price, with figures above the £116m Manchester City paid for Elliot Anderson being discussed.
Arsenal have scouted Barcola closely, including during France’s 3-0 win over Sweden at the World Cup, where he scored Les Bleus’ second goal. Morgan Rogers and Christos Tzolis also feature high on Mikel Arteta’s attacking shortlist, but the mood music around Barcola has changed. For a club that has become used to hearing “not for sale” when calling Europe’s giants, that alone feels significant.
There is also a decision looming over Leandro Trossard. Arsenal have accepted a £17m bid from Besiktas, with the Belgian forward deemed surplus to requirements as the champions plan their next evolution. Trossard, who joined from Brighton in 2023 for £20.6m and has 36 goals and 34 assists in 174 games in all competitions, has yet to decide.
He is currently at the World Cup with Belgium, where he has scored twice in three games ahead of a round-of-32 tie against Senegal. His choice will say plenty about where he sees his career – and how ruthless Arsenal intend to be with a title-winning squad.
Barcelona, meanwhile, are being linked with an audacious move for William Saliba. Reports in Spain suggest the defender has emerged as a top target, but any deal would demand a world-record fee for a defender, with Arsenal only prepared to listen to offers in the region of £130m. That is fantasy territory for most, yet it underlines how highly Saliba is rated across Europe.
United’s midfield reset after Spurs steal their man
While Tottenham celebrate, Manchester United are forced into a rethink. They have missed out on both Tonali and Fernandes and now find themselves scrambling to reshape a midfield plan on the fly.
Michael Carrick and the INEOS hierarchy have drawn up a new shortlist of five names. Bournemouth’s Alex Scott is near the top. Felix Nmecha of Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni, Brighton’s Carlos Baleba and Fulham’s Sander Berge are all under active consideration.
Scott, in particular, is admired, but Bournemouth are in no mood to sell. They are instead working to extend his contract, which runs to 2028, and value him at around £80m. United retain interest in Baleba and Berge as they weigh up options ahead of their return to Champions League football.
Sandro Tonali remains appreciated at Old Trafford, but the Italian is in advanced talks over his move to Spurs. The pressure is on United to find their own statement signing, not simply the next name on a list.
PSG soften, Barcola listens, Arsenal watch
Back in Paris, the Barcola situation has become one of the window’s most intriguing subplots.
PSG had been adamant: no sale. Now, with the player hesitant over a new contract and pushing for a bigger role, the door has been left ajar. The Athletic report that Barcola wants more starts next season, and the French champions are prepared to at least listen if a huge bid arrives.
Fresh reports suggest offers north of the Anderson benchmark could tempt them. Arsenal, already encouraged by signals that a deal might be possible, are watching closely. They planned their World Cup scouting around France’s group-stage games, and Barcola’s goal against Sweden only sharpened that interest.
If Tottenham are trying to reshape their identity through the middle of the pitch, Arsenal are clearly intent on adding another game-changer out wide. Whether PSG actually cash in on a rising France star is another matter entirely.
Forest pull the trigger as Glasner waits in the wings
Away from the transfer frenzy, Nottingham Forest have delivered one of the most ruthless calls of the summer.
Vitor Pereira has been sacked as head coach, despite steering Forest to Premier League survival and a Europa League semi-final after signing an 18-month deal in February. The club activated a break clause in June, informing the Portuguese coach they wanted to move in a different direction just two minutes before the clause expired.
Pereira admitted he was “taken by complete surprise and without any warning”, but added that he respected the club’s right to make decisions for its future. He leaves with “a sense of pride” in what was achieved in a short, intense spell.
Oliver Glasner, who left Crystal Palace in another unexpected twist earlier this year, is expected to take over at the City Ground. Forest, like so many others this summer, are betting that a bold change now will pay off when the season starts.
Juve look to Brobbey as Kolo Muani stalls
On the continent, Juventus are drawing up their own contingency plans in attack.
Sunderland’s Brian Brobbey has emerged as a serious option after an impressive World Cup with the Netherlands. The 24-year-old is being considered as an alternative to Randal Kolo Muani, who remains Juve’s first-choice target.
Kolo Muani is surplus to requirements at PSG and endured a miserable loan spell at Tottenham last season, having previously spent time on loan at Juventus. With that move complicated, Juve are weighing up whether Brobbey offers a cleaner route to the goals they need.
From north London to Turin, from Paris to Nottingham, the pattern is the same: big calls, big fees, and very little patience. The World Cup rolls on, the season edges closer, and the clubs who hesitate now may spend the rest of the year chasing those who didn’t.
