Newcastle have reportedly had talks to sign a new centre-back in the summer transfer window as they prepare for a life under new manager Matthias Jaissle.
The Magpies were recently rocked by the news that manager Eddie Howe wanted to leave the club, and it has now been confirmed that he has said he is through the exit door.
Jaissle looks set to take over at St James’s Park, and he will be working with the Newcastle hierarchy in order to bring in some new additions.
Manchester United have reportedly made a key decision over the final midfield signing.
Having brought in Andrey Santos from Chelsea in a £50million deal and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa for £35million, United are now in the market for a third central midfielder, following the injury to Manuel Ugarte at the World Cup and the departure of Casemiro to Inter Miami after his contract at Old Trafford expired.
Midfield was the main area of concern for now permanent head coach Michael Carrick and two additions were always guaranteed, with a third a potential too.
United decided against pursuing a number of players because of finances
via Reuters
Having missed out on the likes of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes – who made the move to Tottenham for £100million and £85million respectively – and Elliot Anderson – who joined rivals Manchester City for £116million, things were looking bleak early in the transfer window.
United had balked at the prices for all three, refusing to get drawn into a bidding war for any player.
The deals for Santos and Tielemans were done quickly, alleviating any supporters’ concerns somewhat, but seeing rivals spend big money often leads to inevitable ‘why are we not making big moves’ questions.
Santos and Tielemans are astute signings, but they may not be the big-big-money deals supporters would have been hoping for at the end of last season.
Carrick did an incredible job picking up the pieces from the failed Ruben Amorim reign, guiding the Red Devils to third place in the Premier League table and back into the UEFA Champions League as a result.
The impressive form led to suggestions United could challenge once more at the top of the table, perhaps for the title in 2026/27. And if they are to do that they should go all out for one more midfielder this summer.
Club executives believe that both could be available for purchase at a reasonable price, with Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams also a potentially attainable target.
The I Paper report that a deal for Tchouameni looks to be beyond United’s reach at this stage, although that could potentially change towards the end of the transfer window.
And it is the Frenchman whom United really ought to go all out for. Carlo Ancelotti once said of the France star: “Tchouameni is a great midfielder, very focused on his work. He is an extraordinary signing.”
Tchouameni has it all. He can play in the No.6 or the No.8 role and has the ability to be box-to-box, a bit like Casemiro was for the Red Devils. He has age on his side in comparison to the departed Brazilian though and would represent a marquee signing for Carrick in the early part of his tenure.
Tchouameni possesses the quality to play in differenr roles
Sarah Meyssonnier Via Reuters
While at Monaco, before his move to the Santiago Bernabeu in 2022, a Total Football Analysis scouting report said: “The 22-year-old is very good in all phases of play, easily contributing to the attack, defence, transitions, and build-up play, as the data shows.
“Given his excellent reading of the game, technical quality and athleticism, he can break lines and create through different means from deep positions on the pitch.
“Similarly to someone like Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong, Tchouameni is sometimes difficult to stop when he goes into a full run due to his physique and power.”
Fees correct prior to summer 2026
All 10 found — excellent!
The now 26-year-old was integral to France’s run to the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup, having previously done the same on the run to the final in 2022.
Tchouameni may appear out of reach for United, but that should not be the case for a club of their stature. They should be able to go out and roughhouse any other club – even Real Madrid – into signing their players should they want them.
With Santos and Tielemans already through the door, the signing is not urgent and United can afford, on this occasion to play the waiting game. However, turning down an approach because of the inflated transfer window is not an option. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and pay the money and Tchouameni is definitely a player worth doing that for.
Tottenham have done some surgical work on their squad in the summer transfer window so far, but head coach Roberto De Zerbi wants to make more changes.
The Italian has already admitted that he only wants players to stay at the club who want to be there, but he has also confirmed that Spurs are not done when it comes to incoming transfers either.
De Zerbi has admitted he wants to sign forward players now
REUTERS/Hollie Adams
Speaking ahead of the club’s pre-season tour of New Zealand and Australia, De Zerbi said: “I think it’s not finished yet our transfer market window. We have to finish, we have to bring another couple, maybe more, maybe not less, but a couple of players.
“The target now is to complete the attacking positions. We want the first target, the first level, because we have already important players. But I think to start a new project we need another couple of important players for sure.”
Savinho has been the major link when it comes to the left-hand side of Spurs’ frontline, with the Lilywhites having a long-standing interest in the Manchester City man.
They came close to signing him in the summer transfer window of 2025, but Ferran Soriano pulled the plug on the deal at the last minute, with the Brazilian given an indication he would have a role to play.
However, while he made 36 appearances for the Citizens, only 14 of them came in the starting lineup and he appears surplus to requirements at the Etihad Stadium.
New boss Enzo Maresca may want to take a look at him before a final decision is made, with City keen to find a replacement for him before they sanction a deal, which is why the transfer has been held up, despite lengthy talks between Spurs and City.
Cody Gakpo is another name that has been linked with Spurs, although Liverpool are not understood to be looking to sell, so it might take a big offer to convince them. Rafael Leao was also linked ealier in the window, although that has gone quiet, while a move for Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi has now gone on the back burner after the forward suffered a metatarsal injury that will keep him out of action for three to four months.
De Zerbi is understood to be a big fan of Dominic Solanke, with the Italian expecting his forwards to do a lot of work off the ball, starting the press high up the pitch. Solanke’s recent injury troubles make any reliance on him worrisome, however, hence the interest in other signings.
The perfect signing may be staring De Zerbi in the face
And there is one name that no one is talking about that could be the perfect solution for Spurs – Domenico Berardi.
The key reason for that is that he has played under De Zerbi before and knows him and his system well.
The Spurs head coach has already brought in Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton – someone he worked with before – and Sandro Tonali – a Brescia compatriot, showing he likes to work with people who have links with him.
Berardi may be 31 years old, but he can add to the experience De Zerbi has looked to bring in this summer. He may also be more well known as a right-sided attacker, but has played in the second striker role and was even utilised as a centre-forward on occasion under De Zerbi.
Fees correct prior to summer 2026
All 10 found — excellent!
He played under De Zerbi for two years at Sassuolo in Italy – where he still plies his trade – making 99 appearances under the Italian from 2019 to 2021 Only two players have played more under De Zerbi during his managerial career than Berardi.
The frontman was prolific when it came to scoring and setting up goals. He hit 41 goals and provided 13 assists during his spell under De Zerbi, with only Pietro Iemmello and Mason Greenwood scoring more under the 47-year-old.
Berardi has a contract with the Italian side until 2029, having only signed an extension last summer, so it may be a difficult deal to get done, but he knows De Zerbi-ball inside out and when it comes to getting forwards on board and firing quickly, there may not be many better suited.
Arsenal are reportedly willing to break the bank to bring Vinicius Junior to the Emirates Stadium this summer, in what would be one of the biggest signings in the history of the Premier League.
This has forced the North Londoners to look elsewhere for their marquee winger signing. David Ornstein broke the news last week that Arsenal are exploring a deal for Vinicius, who is currently locked in contract talks with Real Madrid.
The 26-year-old has been negotiating a fresh deal with Los Blancos for some time now, although a breakthrough is yet to come. If the superstar and the Spanish giants cannot come to a consensus, then the Gunners are waiting in the wings, ready to pounce.
Should they pull off this audacious move, Arsenal will elevate themselves from marginal title favourites to overwhelming favourites to retain their crown.
Arsenal balked at Morgan Rogers and Jeremy Monga prices
via Reuters
Arsenal have been accused by their own fans and prominent pundits of being stingy in the past, and as recently as this transfer window.
While many would accept that a well-run club implements price discipline when chasing potential targets, others have grown impatient with the stringent negotiating of the North London club’s sporting director, Andrea Berta. The Italian has developed a reputation for making inroads on multiple deals before eventually making a decisive decision on one player, while he’s also known to set clear price parameters for each individual target, which he’ll refuse to budge on.
This approach was reflected in the pursuit of Rogers. The Gunners spent weeks laying the groundwork for a potential deal, liaising with the player’s representatives and holding preliminary talks with Aston Villa. However, Chelsea ultimately gazumped Arsenal, offering a fee Berta simply wasn’t willing to match.
Some reports suggest the North London outfit weren’t willing to go over the £80million mark for the England international, again highlighting their strict discipline in the market — a policy others might dub as tightfisted.
This method has also been seen in the Gunners’ approach for Leicester City wonderkid Jeremy Monga. Arsenal were the frontrunners to land Monga, but ultimately pulled out of the deal when Manchester City offered the 16-year-old astronomical wages.
Danilo Fernandez / Fotoarena/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Despite these accusations of being cheap, Arsenal have shown that they are willing to fork out significant sums for the right player.
The pursuit of Vinicius clearly shows this. Many reports indicate that Arsenal are prepared to offer the Real Madrid star the most lucrative contract in the history of the club. The weekly wage being proposed is in excess of £400,000 a week.
Not only this, but the Gunners are also said to be willing to pay a transfer fee that exceeds the £120million mark, despite the player only having a year left on his contract at the Bernabeu.
Arsenal evidently feel that Vinicius is a player who can elevate their level significantly, and will do what it takes to sign him. Conversely, they obviously felt the likes of Rogers and Monga weren’t necessary signings who would move the needle for them in any considerable way. It wasn’t worth them breaking their price principles to make these signings.
Fees correct prior to summer 2026
All 10 found — excellent!
In the past, Arsenal have been linked with the likes of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Kylian Mbappe. They also spent around £250million in total last summer, bringing in the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze and Martin Zubimendi for significant fees. Don’t forget Declan Rice was a £105million signing from West Ham, too.
Clearly, the Gunners are not actually stingy. They have a strategy in place, and they stick by this strategy to ensure they don’t end up overpaying for mediocre talent, which would eventually come back to bite them. They aren’t, however, averse to paying over the odds for genuine top-tier talent.
Some will continue to criticise this transfer philosophy, but Arsenal have ultimately proven with their success on the pitch over recent years that this approach pays dividends in the long run.
