Premier League

After Manchester United wonderkid JJ Gabriel asked to leave the club, Chelsea have stormed forward to lead the race for the teenager’s signature among other Premier League suitors Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Manchester City. (Source: TEAMtalk)

Outside of England, Real Madrid are the frontrunners to sign Gabriel. Los Blancos are working on a deal for the 15-year-old, but have competition from Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich. (Source: The Athletic)

As all the top clubs in the world circle, United are still hopeful of resolving the issue before Gabriel takes any drastic action. (Source: talkSPORT)

Despite their need for a midfield reinforcement in January, Chelsea will not pay Monaco’s increased asking price for Lamine Camara. The French outfit now wants £60 million ($80.9 million) for the midfielder. (Source: Football Insider)

Liverpool are considering bringing Trent Alexander-Arnold back to Anfield. The fullback has been largely cast aside at Real Madrid and could be in for a homecoming, though no official talks have unfolded between the two clubs just yet. (Source: Fichajes)

Arsenal were circling around Liverpool winger Rio Ngumoha, but the Reds are keen to keep the youngster at Anfield. They are even considering offering him a new contract. (Source: Fabrizio Romano)

Newcastle United are keeping tabs on Arsenal winger Noni Madueke, who might leave north London in January after falling down Mikel Arteta’s pecking order. (Source: indykaila)

As relations worsen between Tottenham Hotspur and wantaway striker Richarlison, the Brazilian is still exploring his options. He remains determined to be released from his current contract, which expires at the end of the season. (Source: BBC Sport)

Christian Pulisic was linked back to the Premier League after a frustrating start at AC Milan, but Ruben Amorim believes the American is an important player in his squad, dispelling any talks of a transfer for now. (Source: Gazzetta dello Sport)

Leeds United are more than willing to sign Frankfurt loanee Jean-Mattéo Bahoya permanently if he impresses at Elland Road. The winger’s Deadline Day move came with a £19.7 million ($26.6 million) option to buy. (Source: Football Insider)

La Liga

Real Madrid and Barcelona are both on high alert with belief that Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is seriously considering a move to Spain in 2027. City would not immediately shut down the Norway international should he pursue a new challenge elsewhere. (Source: TEAMtalk)

After spending the first month of the season firmly on the bench, Real Madrid striker Endrick is prepared to review his situation at the Bernabéu in January. If things do not improve, the Brazilian could go back out on loan. (Source: AS)

Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen are targeting Barcelona gem Xavi Espart. Both clubs have sent scouts to watch the fullback. (Source: fussball-news)

Atlético Madrid and Real Betis are monitoring Argentine goalkeeper Santiago Beltrán. The 21-year-old has a €21 million ($24.2 million) release clause at River Plate. (Source: Fichajes)

Barcelona are working on a new contract for center back Gerard Martín. Hansi Flick and the club want to reward the defender for his impressive performances with an improved salary. (Source: Mundo Deportivo)

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Transfer Rumors: Real Madrid Lure Man Utd Wonderkid; Alexander-Arnold’s Liverpool Return.

The visitors were superior initially, but the game completely changed after a well-crafted Liverpool action was capped off by Alexis Mac Allister, who fired an unstoppable hit from the edge of the penalty area to give his side the lead 21 minutes in.

The Reds assumed full control of the match soon after halftime when Cody Gakpo needed just the most marginal of spaces to unleash a rocket of a hit into the far post to double Liverpool’s advantage before the hour mark.

It seemed like Andoni Iraola’s men had the game under total control when a mistake from Giorgi Mamardashvili trying to clear a corner allowed Conor Gallagher to tap in a header from close range to give Tottenham life in the 69th minute.

Nerves and tension invaded Anfield, but Dominik Szoboszlai clinched Liverpool’s third goal with the latest addition to his extensive catalogue of sensational long-rage strikes, scoring in stoppage time.

Despite deploying a rotated side, Liverpool handled business and progressed. Meanwhile, Tottenham were wasteful and paid the price. They will only play Premier League games for the rest of 2026, turning up the heat on Roberto De Zerbi.

Heroes and Villains

Hero

On a side full of young players and rotational pieces, Alexis Mac Allister had an added responsibility to help steer Liverpool to the promise land, and he did just that. Operating in midfield next to Trey Nyoni and a forward line full of youth and fringe talents, the Argentine stepped up and was everywhere.

Liverpool’s No. 10 was always well positioned to serve as an outlet in build-up to bypass Tottenham’s press, but it was his ability to crash the box that shined on Tuesday. He always appeared inside or near the penalty area with menacing intent, and his goal, the highlight of a dominant performance, was a simply stunning finish.

He also assisted Gakpo’s strike which doubled Liverpool’s lead and put the game on ice early in the second half.

Villains

Playing against a Liverpool side far from full strength should’ve been a golden opportunity for Tottenham to collect a strong result and a much-needed confidence boost. But regardless of the opponent, wasting chances such as the ones Lucas Bergvall and then Mohammed Kudus missed—both just outside of the six-yard box—are the recipe for disaster.

The egregious misses condemned Tottenham the rest of the way, and although they got back in the game, they were unable to overcome them. The honeymoon period is officially over, and Roberto De Zerbi is slowly turning into a villain in the eyes of many at north London.

The Italian boss has had a turbulent start of the season both on and off the pitch, and Spurs have now been eliminated from Carabao Cup contention before they’ve even secured their first Premier League win of the season.

Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Tottenham (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Giorgi Mamardashvili—7.9: Sensational close-range save to deny Spurs from taking an early lead. The stop gave him a confidence boost, and he made another brilliant stop in the second half. He then made a mess of an attempted clearance from a corner which resulted in Gallagher’s goal. A jaw-dropping late save kept Liverpool ahead, though.

RB: Jeremie Frimpong—7.5: A much-needed strong performance from the criticized Frimpong. Nullified Mathys Tel in dominant fashion and was constantly dragging markers away from other attackers in the final third. Despite his booking, it was a strong showing.

CB: Ronald Araújo—7.2: Another confident showing from Araújo, who’s off to a strong start at his new club. Always on the front foot trying to anticipate passes. Still, he did earn a yellow card for halting Omar Marmoush’s run after he’d been caught out trying to press high up the pitch.

CB: Joe Gomez—6.6: Made his first appearance of the term after a preseason injury. The long-time Red didn’t put a foot wrong and exited the game at half time after registering the most defensive contributions of any player on the pitch during his cameo with seven.

LB: Milos Kerkez—7.1: Made a couple of fine interventions to deny what looked like dangerous chances. Dragged a defender with him which allowed Gakpo the space he needed to double his side’s advantage. Solid from the Hungarian.

CM: Trey Nyoni—7.4: A stable and reliable presence in the middle of the park. Nyoni wasn’t incredibly flashy, but he seemingly always made the right decision, misplacing just two passes on the night.

CM: Alexis Mac Allister—8.7: At the right place at the right time to pounce on a rebound with an classy hit into the roof of the net to break the deadlock. He then assisted Liverpool’s second in an all-around man of the match performance.

RW: Rio Ngumoha—7.1: Had a bright start and was directly involved in Liverpool’s most dangerous actions of the first half, including the opener. His influence decreased as he struggled to make an impact on Destiny Udogie.

AM: James McConnell—6.4: Barely had a sniff of the ball and failed to make any noticeable impact. He exited the pitch after completing just 10 passes in an hour.

LW: Cody Gakpo—8.5: Wasn’t too involved early but he then appeared with a brilliant goal to double Liverpool’s lead. He’s playing with confidence and continues to contribute offensively every time he’s on the pitch.

ST: Lewis Koumas—6.5: The youngster did well to outmuscle Marcos Senesi to the ball, but was then denied by Martin Dúbravka in the one clear opportunity he got to leave a mark on the game. His relentless pressing gave Tottenham’s backline plenty of trouble.

SUB: Jérémy Jacquet (46’ for Gomez)—7.0: Another strong cameo from the French defender.

SUB: Dominik Szoboszlai (62’ for Nyoni)—7.5: He might’ve scored the best goal of the season already.

SUB: Ryan Gravenberch (62’ for McConnel)—6.9: Didn’t misplace a single pass during his cameo.

SUB: Bradley Barcola (72’ for Ngumoha)—6.1: The summer recruit didn’t have much time to make an impact.

SUB: Alexander Isak (86’ for Koumas)—N/A:

Subs not used: Alisson (GK), Wataru Endo Luke Chambers, Víctor Muñoz

Tottenham Player Ratings vs. Liverpool (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Martin Dúbravka—5.9: Nothing he could do to stop the two goals he conceded. He did well to ensure the deficit wasn’t larger and kept his team in the game.

RB: Archie Gray—6.2: Struggled significantly against Gakpo and was on the back foot whenever he was tasked with defending one-on-one.

CB: Tosin Adarabioyo—6.2: Was impacted by Liverpool’s press but had a couple of good interventions. Lucky there’s no VAR because it looked like he deflected a cross with his hand.

CB: Marcos Senesi—6.6: Very nervy showing from the Argentine, who had a painful time defending Koumas. He was bested physically and also nearly cost his side with a near turnover inside his own box that nearly resulted in a penalty.

LB: Destiny Udogie—6.0: Should’ve had two assists as his deliveries from the left were Spurs’ main source of danger. He had a tasty battle with Ngumoha on the other end.

CM: Rodrigo Bentancur—6.4: At times overwhelmed by the speed of the game but nullified James McConnell. Got booked for a clumsy challenge on Gakpo.

CM: Lucas Bergvall—7.5: Will be disappointed he didn’t place his shot from just outside the six-yard box out of Mamardashvili’s reach. His clear miss didn’t damp an otherwise solid performance.

RW: Mohammed Kudus—6.7: A simply unforgivable miss from close distance that would’ve brought Spurs level was the main highlight of a uninspiring Kudus cameo.

AM: Conor Gallagher—7.5: Pulled the strings of his team’s most dangerous attacks and had a few highlight-reel passes as he probed all over the final third.

LW: Mthys Tel—6.3: A complete non-factor. He finished the first half with just five pass attempts and misplaced four of them. Continues to offer little in the final third.

ST: Omar Marmoush—6.4: Very erratic at times but nearly scored an equalizer late but was denied by a fantastic Mamardashvili save.

SUB: Andrew Robertson (57’ for Udogie)—6.4: Got a hero’s welcome by the Anfield crowd and added a spark down the left.

SUB: Matheus Fernandes (57’ for Bentancur)—7.5: Tottenham improved dramatically the moment Fernandes entered the contest and single-handedly quarterbacked his side’s attacks.

SUB: James Maddison (75’ for Gallagher)—6.3: Made a few attempts but none were overly threatening.

SUB: Sávio (75’ for Kudus)—6.4: Missed a dream opportunity to equalize, dragging his shot wide.

SUB: Dominic Solanke (85’ for Tel)—N/A

Subs not used: Antonín Kinský (GK), Ben Davies, Jan Paul van Hecke, Micky van de Ven

What the Ratings Tell Us

• Cody Gakpo has fully recovered from his minor groin issue and continued his stellar start of the campaign with a nice goal to make it five goal contributions on the season already. Bradley Barcola was bought for big money, but the Dutchman is making it hard for Iraola to not include him in his strongest XI.
• The duo of under fire fullbacks, Milos Kerkes and Jeremie Frimpong, were excellent on Tuesday, taking care of their defensive duties flawlessly and stretching the field in attack. The pair covered ground down the flanks on a night where they performed at the level that saw Liverpool spend big on their acquisitions a last year.
• Conor Gallagher was one of the very few bright spots for Tottenham on the night. The Englishman constantly asked questions of Liverpool’s defense and scored his second goal since joining the club in January. He remains a solid alternative in an otherwise misfiring Spurs attack.
• It was another disheartening showing from Mathys Tel, who continues to offer next to nothing for Tottenham in attack. With Mykhaylo Mudryk injured for a considerable time, De Zerbi could be better suited deploying Marmoush on the left rather than leading the line.

The Numbers That Explain Liverpool’s Win and Spurs’ Demise

• Tottenham won the xG battle with 2.34 to Liverpool’s 1.53; however, Liverpool’s three goals came in actions that registered a combined xG of just 0.22.
• Lucas Bergvall’s and Mohammed Kudus’s missed big chances had a combined xG of 0.90, which is higher than Liverpool’s first half 0.70 xG.
• Spurs had more possession, shots, shots on goal, touches in the opposition box and corners. Still, they were unable to translate that superiority with goals, and it cost them dearly.
• Tottenham have now failed to win in their last 18 trips to Anfield.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Liverpool vs. Tottenham Player Ratings: Rotated Reds Triumph, Compound Spurs’ Misery.

Premier League

Atlético Madrid and Juventus are both considering January moves for Arsenal winger Noni Madueke, who has struggled for minutes during the opening weeks of the campaign. (Source: CaughtOffside)

Meanwhile, Arsenal are tracking Liverpool winger Rio Ngumoha with a view to a move further down the line if the 18-year-old looks to leave Anfield over competition for minutes. (Source: Alan Nixon)

Liverpool will delay a decision on Virgil van Dijk’s future until later in the season, challenging the veteran defender to earn a new contract that reflects the performance levels he shows over the coming months. (Source: Football Insider)

Despite reports to the contrary, Bayern Munich hold no interest in Manchester City playmaker Rayan Cherki. (Source: Christian Falk)

Arsenal and Chelsea are both willing to offer over £86 million ($116 million) to sign Barcelona attacking midfielder Fermín López. (Source: El Nacional)

Liverpool have joined Manchester United in pursuit of Barcelona left back Alejandro Balde, and their strong relationship with the Catalan giants could give them the edge. (Source: SPORT)

While Aston Villa have shown interest in signing Jack Grealish, the Man City winger is prioritizing a return to Everton when he leaves the Etihad at the end of his contract next summer. (Source: Football Insider)

Aston Villa, Brentford, Brighton & Hove Albion, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest have all joined Sunderland in expressing interest in Sporting CP winger Geny Catamo. (Source: TEAMtalk)

Freiburg striker Igor Matanović has played his way on to the radars of both Man Utd and Tottenham Hotspur, who are strongly considering moves for the 23-year-old. (Source: fussball-news)

Corinthians center back Iago Machado, 17, is a target for both Arsenal and Chelsea. (Source: Lance!)

La Liga

Barcelona could consider a move for Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane if his contract negotiations with the German giants fail to yield a positive resolution. (Source: TEAMtalk)

Also in Barcelona’s sights is Chelsea winger Estêvão. Sporting director Deco has begun reaching out to explore a move for the young forward, whose limited minutes thus far under Xabi Alonso has sparked significant uncertainty about his future. (Source: El Nacional)

Galatasaray are working towards an agreement to sign Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga in January. (Source: Fotomaç)

At the same time, Galatasaray have made an offer to sign Real Madrid center back Raúl Asencio, who is available for transfer but has proven reluctant to pursue an exit. (Source: Fichajes)

Real Madrid have been offered the chance to sign Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, 28, as a successor to Thibaut Courtois. (Source: AS)

Scouts from Arsenal and Tottenham continue to monitor Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García, but a deal would require either an astronomical fee or a formal exit request from the player. (Source: Football360)

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Transfer Rumors: Barcelona Ready Estevao Move; Liverpool Battle Man Utd for Balde.

The 20 clubs once again embarked on a record transfer spend in the summer, with plenty posing the question whether there’s a bubble that’s ready to burst.

For now, the Premier League’s wealth knows no bounds, and the extent of its spending has been neatly depicted by the 552nd CIES Football Observatory report.

CIES has calculated how much it cost clubs in transfer fees to curate their rosters for the current season. Here’s an overview of the world’s most expensive.

The 20 Most Expensive Soccer Rosters in the World

The Premier League smashed its own transfer record this summer, as the 20 clubs combined to splash $4.7 billion on new signings. Just five years ago, we were taken aback by the division’s $1.5 billion splurge.

Thus, the six priciest rosters assembled for the 2026–27 campaign reside in the English top flight, as do eight of the top 10 and 11 of the top 20. Real Madrid’s $1.18 billion roster is the most expensive outside of the Premier League, while back-to-back Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain boast the world’s eighth-most expensive roster.

Of the Premier League’s ’Big Six,’ champions Arsenal spent the least to attain their current personnel ($1.26 billion), while Liverpool, having spent a record amount last summer and just recently signed Bradley Barcola for $163 million at the end of August, possess the world’s most expensive roster ($1.43 billion).

Manchester City, who spent $617 million to rebuild their midfield this summer, run the Reds close ($1.4 billion), as do Tottenham Hotspur ($1.36 billion) and, less remarkably, Chelsea ($1.35 billion). Daniel Levy wasn’t exactly the most frugal towards the end of his 25-year reign as Spurs’ chairman, and the new regime stuck the boot in by spending more than $405 million on 10 new signings this summer.

Reckless ambition, it’d seem.

Newcastle United ($999 million) and Aston Villa ($736 million) are the other two Premier League teams who crack the top 10, with both clubs forced to rebuild their cores over the summer.

Bayer Leverkusen’s roster cost has soared 11 spots up to 15th ($630 million), but Bayern Munich unsurprisingly have the most expensive roster in Germany ($688 million).

In Italy, Juventus have spent plenty ($674 million) in a bid to reassert themselves at the summit of Serie A, but Inter Milan have made a mockery of their brash work in the market by astutely exploiting free agency. The Nerazzurri’s roster is the fifth-most expensive in Serie A, behind Juventus, Napoli, AC Milan and Atalanta. They’ve reached two Champions League finals this decade and won three Scudetti.

Perhaps most impressively, Barcelona’s current roster set them back $623 million, making it the 16th-most expensive in the world. The importance of La Masia can’t be overstated, with Barça developing the likes of Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí, and signing Pedri for a small fee in 2020. They now rank among three of soccer’s most valuable players.

Brighton & Hove Albion, Brentford and Bournemouth have all been lauded for their progressive, data-driven models that help them discover talent in the market that others overlook. Still, the trio of Premier League clubs have still needed to spend sizable sums to cultivate their current rosters, with Brighton’s ($649 million) costing more than Barcelona’s.

Oh, and there’s Saudi representation, too. Al Hilal may have lost some of its superstar power in recent years, including Karim Benzema this summer, but it still cost the Saudi Pro League’s most successful club $618 million to sign its current personnel. They spent more than $236 million ahead of the 2026–27 campaign, with the arrivals of Gabriel Martinelli, Crysencio Summerville and Ollie Watkins making up the bulk of this outlay.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as The Most Expensive Rosters in World Soccer.

The fourth round of fixtures in England’s top flight were dictated by the clumsy influence of officials who came under heightened scrutiny. Hands were wringed, teeth gnashed and future of the sport put into question by a series of steaming managers, players and fans.

Between the bursts of controversy and frame-by-frame replays, some actual soccer broke out over the weekend.

Ranking Criteria

• Performance: This is the crux of the exercise: How well did each team play when considering the flow of a game divorced from the final score. If it was simply a judgement of scoreboard statistics you may as well go straight to the table.
• Expectations: Not all results are equal. Teams that upset the odds with their display are rewarded more favorably.
• Venue: As the behind-closed-doors season of 2020–21 proved, playing in front of your home fans is a huge advantage, so any away results are given a little extra bonus.

20. Newcastle (4–1 Loss vs. Leeds)

All of the energy and excitement of Newcastle’s season under Matthias Jaissle evaporated into the night air above Elland Road on Monday. The Magpies were meek bystanders on what their manager fairly described as a “tough night.”

19. Crystal Palace (2–3 Loss vs. Ipswich)

Another Jørgen Strand Larsen goal at the weekend 🦅 pic.twitter.com/OB0pnjoIn4

— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) September 14, 2026

Pierre Sage insisted that his Crystal Palace team “deserved at least a point” against Ipswich Town—but he was in the minority. Axel Disasi’s bone-headed red card set the Eagles up for failure which eventually arrived in stoppage time.

18. Coventry (5–0 Loss vs. Brighton)

Bart's Player of the Match performance! 🇳🇱🧤 pic.twitter.com/VpZP9vcg08

— Brighton & Hove Albion (@BHAFC) September 14, 2026

It will be washed away by torrent of Brighton goals after they had Taiwo Awoniyi sent off to start the second half but Coventry actually started brightly. By halftime, Frank Lampard’s side were only trailing 1–0 and had forced Bart Verbruggen into three crucial saves.

“We did some good stuff,” Lampard offered before admitting, “then the game became very, very difficult for us.”

17. Man Utd (1–0 Loss vs. Man City)

It can only really be viewed as a feat of mismanagement when a team gets so demonstrably worse after their opponents are reduced to 10 men.

United came close to breaking Manchester City’s resolve, hitting the post twice before Bryan Mbeumo only succeeded in finding Gianluigi Donnarumma’s right palm from point-blank range, but the fact that they let that contest in those favorable circumstances be decided by a refereeing error is damning.

16. Aston Villa (2–1 Loss vs. Nottingham Forest)

At this point, Unai Emery’s inferiority to Oliver Glasner must play on his mind. Aston Villa’s beleaguered boss has failed to beat his Austrian counterpart in eight encounters, losing six. This worryingly toothless iteration of Villa never really threatened to end that streak during another home loss.

15. Chelsea (2–2 Draw vs. Hull)

Chelsea are quickly becoming a must-watch for neutrals but Xabi Alonso is already sick of his team’s chronic chaos. “I hope one day you will say it was a boring game and we won,” the adventurous tactician sighed during a press conference cut suspiciously brief.

The brilliance of the Blues’ front three contrasts violently with the ineptitude of the other eight positions on the pitch. For every penetrative surge forward, Chelsea give up a golden chance of their own. Across just six games, 12 goals have been conceded.

14. Sunderland (2–0 Loss vs. Arsenal)

Take the positives and move onto the next.

Thank you for your outstanding support at the Stadium of Light this evening ❤️👏 pic.twitter.com/A4Sb88MHuU

— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) September 12, 2026

When he wasn’t tearing into the officials, Mikel Arteta found time to praise Sunderland’s resilience: “They are a really, really good side,” the Arsenal boss fretted, “and in any other moment we could’ve conceded.”

13. Brentford (2–2 Draw vs. Bournemouth)

🛑 6 interceptions
🔙 6 recoveries
↪️ 4 clearances
🆚 3 tackles
🧱 1 block

Another outstanding performance from Vita yesterday 👏 pic.twitter.com/2XZvo5F3wR

— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) September 13, 2026

It was a typically chaotic encounter between the two most volatile clubs in the Premier League. Possession changed hands 206 times at the Vitality Stadium, more than any other fixture this season. The ball threatened to break the way of Bournemouth but the Bees would escape the south coast with a fortuitous point. “We did not hit the levels we set for ourselves,” Keith Andrews quietly seethed.

12. Tottenham (0–0 Draw vs. Everton)

TEL “but I was here to play football”

Fair to say that’s the last we see of him pic.twitter.com/CdgZycyVfq

— Mikey Mike (@MikeyHotspurs) September 13, 2026

After a second consecutive goalless draw, Roberto De Zerbi came out swinging: “In Italy, I should be the best coach, no? Two games, two clean sheets.” Whether La Gazzetta dello Sport would ignore Tottenham’s distinct lack of goals or any cohesion in the final third is not as clear as De Zerbi may argue.

11. Everton (0–0 Draw vs. Tottenham)

Jordan Pickford is just the fifth English goalkeeper in @premierleague history to reach 100 clean sheets. 🧤 pic.twitter.com/D6IsDcOtfg

— Everton (@Everton) September 14, 2026

This was a typical Everton display under David Moyes; solid but not entirely satisfying. To borrow the manager’s expression, it was “gutsy.” Glitzy has never been his chief consideration.

10. Liverpool (0–0 Draw vs. Fulham)

This was the most worrying display of Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool tenure thus far. Liverpool not only failed to create any clear-cut chances against one of the most defensively inept sides in the division, but seemingly struggled to even run.

One of Iraola’s Anfield predecessors Brendan Rodgers likened management to “building an aircraft while it is flying.” It remains to be seen if Liverpool’s new manager can improve the stamina of his squad during the blast furnace of an ongoing Premier League season.

9. Fulham (0–0 Draw vs. Liverpool)

Super save from SBLIG. 🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/8PjrdoOtFr

— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) September 14, 2026

Some matches don’t deserve a goal. This one barely deserved a corner. After coming out on the wrong side of three thoroughly eventful and unsuccessful fixtures, Álvaro Arbeloa was perhaps grateful for the respite.

8. Ipswich (3–2 Win vs. Crystal Palace)

Zian Flemming. 🎶🕺🗣️ pic.twitter.com/lPLtBm9kYw

— Ipswich Town (@IpswichTown) September 13, 2026

The sweet satisfaction of securing a precious win won’t be dampened by Ipswich’s defensive frailties for many fans, although Gary O’Neil should be concerned by how a 10-man Crystal Palace side scored twice against his team.

7. Arsenal (2–0 Win vs. Sunderland)

This was an arm wrestle of a victory won in the space of 121 seconds. Bruno Guimarães proved to be the fitting matchwinner on his return to the north east but only after David Raya’s stunning penalty save two minutes earlier.

For all the focus shifted towards the divisive refereeing, Arsenal won’t maintain their 100% for much longer if they continue to be beholden to moments of individual brilliance.

6. Bournemouth (2–2 Draw vs. Brentford)

His first goal of the campaign 🎯

Love it, Justin 👊 pic.twitter.com/qDKFM0wWQN

— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) September 13, 2026

At what point to Bournemouth just stop taking the lead? Marco Rose’s side failed to capitalize on a winning position for the fourth game in succession after some typically wayward finishing, but the way that the Cherries played their way into that lead by passing Brentford off the park will surely inspire some encouragement.

5. Hull (2–2 Draw vs. Chelsea)

Fantastic support from a sold out away end 🧡🖤 pic.twitter.com/J4V7eiaTzG

— Hull City (@HullCity) September 12, 2026

Sergej Jakirović could afford to joke around in the aftermath of his side’s entirely deserved 2–2 draw at Chelsea. Sorba Thomas was likened to F1 star Max Verstappen after his car crash in the week by a jovial manager soaking up a start to the season he could scarcely have envisaged.

4. Nottingham Forest (2–1 Win vs. Aston Villa)

That flick from MGW. 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/51K4sv4Sjx

— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) September 14, 2026

Nottingham Forest had not left Villa Park with a win since 1994, before every outfielder who started Saturday’s triumph had even been born. Thanks to a wonderfully cohesive and coordinated team performance in the image of Oliver Glasner, that drought was broken.

3. Brighton (5–0 Win vs. Coventry)

Dunky's Goal of the Season contender! 🤯🚀 pic.twitter.com/tUHNtdxKTr

— Brighton & Hove Albion (@BHAFC) September 13, 2026

When Lewis Dunk is stuffing the ball into the top corner from 30 yards out, you know it’s your day.

2. Man City (1–0 Win vs. Man Utd)

The way Enzo Maresca and his players celebrated the narrow derby win said everything about the 90 minutes of tactical, technical and mental endeavor which had been expended at Old Trafford.

Maresca hailed the impact of his perennial matchwinner after the 1–0 victory—“How do you say in English? Happy wife, happy life? For us, happy Erling, happy life. My wife will be upset with me for that one,” he chuckled—but this was a mightily impressive victory for the collective.

1. Leeds (4–1 Win vs. Newcastle)

✨ The conductor of Elland Road! pic.twitter.com/7Wa6cGA1MV

— Leeds United (@LUFC) September 15, 2026

Even a cheap concession of a 90th-minute consolation couldn’t take away the sheen of Leeds’ emphatic thrashing. “My boys were brilliant,” Daniel Farke justifiably beamed.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ranking All 20 Premier League Teams’ Performances on Matchday Four.

The Lilywhites entered De Zerbi’s first full season in charge with lofty expectations off the back of a summer transfer window in which they spent more than $423.9 million (£302 million) on 10 new signings, including a club-record $133 million (£100 million) purchase of Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United.

While a ’gelling-in’ process is necessary, Spurs’ incompetence in the final third, despite the additions of Omar Marmoush and Sávio from Manchester City, has emerged as a serious area of concern for De Zerbi. Spurs haven’t merely failed to score, but they also rank 19th in the division with 3.45 expected goals, per Opta.

They’re struggling to generate high-quality chances and failing to seize the few opportunities that have come their way, with their collective confidence in front of goal on the floor. The absence of a natural goal-getter, especially given Dominic Solanke’s form this calendar year, is hurting them, which makes De Zerbi’s feud with Richarlison all the more curious.

Richarlison Offers Social Media Response to Latest De Zerbi Jibe

De Zerbi’s relationship with Richarlison has drastically deteriorated over the past couple of weeks. The Brazilian hasn’t been used by the Tottenham manager since he started at Brentford on the opening weekend of the season, which De Zerbi attributes to the striker wanting to leave the club.

"Richarlison decided everything alone," De Zerbi said on Sept. 4, after the Premier League’s transfer deadline. "I want to keep only the players who want to stay with pride and the right passion to stay here."

Richarlison was close to returning to Everton late in the summer window, then Spurs rejected offers from Trabzonspor before the Turkish Süper Lig deadline. A move to Brazilian club Vasco da Gama also fell through, and the situation could yet turn even messier, with the player threatening legal action in a bid to cancel his contract.

De Zerbi left him off of Spurs’ Premier League roster, submitted just after the summer transfer window closed, and it seems as if there’s no way back for the Brazilian in north London.

The 29-year-old is eligible to feature in Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup third-round tie at Liverpool, but De Zerbi asserted that Richarlison won’t play even if he’s available. Responding to a Fabrizio Romano post reporting his manager’s comments, Richarlison wrote: "Why?" on his Instagram story, accompanied by a rather despondent emoji.

While the Brazilian’s Spurs career has ultimately been underwhelming since joining in an $81 million (£60 million) deal from Everton in the summer of 2022, Richarlison’s 11 Premier League goals helped the Lilywhites preserve their top-flight status last season.

It’s a sorry way for Richarlison to bow out.

De Zerbi’s History With Player Fallouts

De Zerbi publicly manifested his frustrations with one of Spurs’ goal-shy forwards immediately after Saturday’s goalless draw with Everton. He took to the field to offer Mathys Tel some coaching points about his body position, which the Frenchman seemingly didn’t take too kindly to.

The Italian downplayed the sequence, saying postmatch that he “loves” Tel, insisting there was “no problem” with their public discussion.

While a broken Spurs roster bought into De Zerbi’s hands-on approach during the back end of last season, it’s no coincidence that the 47-year-old hasn’t held down a single managerial role for more than three years throughout his career. He’s a combustible figure, and the very worst of De Zerbi was laid bare in Marseille.

There, he was accused of being “a real ass----” to Canadian international Ismaël Koné by national team manager Jesse Marsch, and a viral clip of De Zerbi berating the young midfielder certainly didn’t reflect well on the Italian.

Spurs’ current woes are bringing De Zerbi’s potential man-management failings to light, but there are two sides to the same coin. Others have spoken glowingly of De Zerbi, namely Kevin Prince-Boateng, who spent six months with him at Sassuolo and said of his former manager: “He’s like a real, real best friend, like a father to young players and he’s just the best on the field.”

An uptick in results will doubtless see the heat on De Zerbi cool, but Spurs desperately need a goalscorer to emerge from the abyss with Richarlison out of the picture.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Tottenham Prepare for Liverpool Clash With New Chapter in Ugly Feud.

Spurs’ record on the red half of the Mersey is dire, with their last triumph at Anfield arriving at the end of the 2010–11 season. They’re winless on their previous 11 visits and have won just eight times at Liverpool’s venerated home.

The Reds have won this competition more than any other club, with an 11th League Cup success their target this term. With conquests of the country and continent unlikely despite their recent transfer splashes, Andoni Iraola should embrace the domestic cups in his first season at the helm.

Spurs, meanwhile, would just love a goal. Since putting five past Charlton Athletic in the previous round, Roberto De Zerbi’s side have failed to score in three consecutive outings and are one of two Premier League teams yet to find the back of the net.

Here’s how supporters can tune into the Carabao Cup third round tie.

What Time Does Liverpool vs. Tottenham Kick Off?

• Location: Liverpool, England
• Stadium: Anfield
• Date: Tuesday, Sept. 15
• Kickoff Time: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
• Referee: Andy Madley

How to Watch Liverpool vs. Tottenham on TV, Live Stream

Those tuning into Tuesday’s cup tie in the United Kingdom certainly aren’t shy of streaming options. This fixture is available to watch on free-to-air television via ITV1 and STV. Sky Sports are also broadcasting the contest, and it will be shown on their Main Event and Football channels.

Paramount+ is the only streaming avenue in the United States, while DAZN and fuboTV are providing coverage in Canada.

If you’re watching the cup tie from Mexico, Disney+ and ESPN3 are your two options.

• MORE: Full list of Carabao Cup broadcasters around the world

What’s Next for Liverpool, Tottenham?

Tottenham’s quest to score a Premier League goal continues against the similarly troubled Aston Villa on Saturday evening, with the Lilywhites playing host. Iraola takes his Liverpool side to his old stomping ground the following day, as Bournemouth welcome the Reds to the Vitality Stadium.

Then comes an extended international break, which means two weekends without Premier League soccer.

The winner of Tuesday’s tie will doubtless tune into the fourth round draw taking place after Wednesday’s ties. Fourth round games are scheduled to be played in the week commencing Oct. 26.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as How to Watch Liverpool vs. Tottenham on TV, Live Stream.

Both teams were subject to frustrating Premier League stalemates on Saturday, with the Reds, having beaten Atlético Madrid 2–1 to kick off their Champions League campaign, producing a concerningly-flat performance against the leaky Cottagers.

Spurs then faced Liverpool’s Merseyside rivals Everton and failed to capitalize on a bright start. The Toffees quickly dug their heels in and ground out a point, leaving the Lilywhites scoreless in the top flight after four games.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side were free-scoring in their second round victory over Charlton Athletic, beating the Championship side 5–1. Liverpool’s presence in Europe means their domestic cup journey starts on Tuesday, and they’re aiming to win this competition for a record-extending 11th time.

Liverpool vs. Tottenham Score Prediction

Reds Compound Spurs‘ Misery

It won’t be long until Spurs supporters start to turn against the manager they backed to the hilt after last season’s escape, and the majority aren’t too pleased with the Italian’s rhetoric heading into this cup tie.

Without European soccer to enjoy, the Carabao Cup isn’t a competition Spurs can afford to sacrifice. Losing at Anfield is hardly uncommon for the Lilywhites, but a defeat wouldn’t be well received in North London if the manager opts for wholesale rotation.

De Zerbi’s first full season has to be ignited from somewhere, and a rare victory on Liverpool’s patch would go a long way to shifting the mood in N17. The Reds have merely offered glimpses at the start of Iraola’s reign, with the Spaniard still feeling his way into the most daunting managerial position of his impressive career.

• Spurs’ Anfield record: Richarlison earned the Lilywhites their only point of the forgettable Igor Tudor era at Anfield last season, but Spurs’ dreams tend to fade when they travel up to Liverpool’s cauldron. They haven’t won here since the end of the 2010–11 season—a run of 17 games without a victory.
• Scoring woes: The visitors scored five at home in the second round, but have curated a roster bereft of a natural goalscorer. Spurs haven’t scored in their four Premier League outings and rank third from the bottom in the division with a measly 3.45 xG. That suggests that it’s not a finishing issue; they’re also not creating high-quality chances.
• Alexander Isak factor: The Swede enjoyed the best few minutes of his Liverpool career at Ipswich Town 10 days ago, and was more likely than anyone to break the deadlock against Fulham on Saturday, ending the match with 0.5 xG. He’ll be licking his lips when Spurs come to town, given that he’s scored seven times in six games against the Lilywhites.

Prediction: Liverpool 2–1 Tottenham

Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs. Tottenham

Iraola lamented a "lack of freshness" after Saturday’s stalemate with Fulham, and the Liverpool boss has no choice but to offer key figures respite here.

There‘s hope that Joe Gomez will be fit enough to start at the heart of Iraola’s defense after returning to training last week. Virgil van Dijk may be used as an experienced head to aid the youthful figures in the Liverpool team, which could include Trey Nyoni and Lewis Koumas.

Rio Ngumoha is a shoo-in to start down the left-hand side, and Jeremie Frimpong could be utilized further upfield. The lack of options up top means Alexander Isak may keep his place.

Cody Gakpo was fit enough to play 30 minutes against Fulham, having picked up a groin injury in the victory over Atlético Madrid. He’s unlikely to be risked against the club that chased his signature in the summer transfer window.

Federico Chiesa, Hugo Ekitiké, Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley are all absent.

Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs. Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Mamardashvili; Araújo, Gomez, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Szoboszlai, Nyoni; Frimpong, Koumas, Ngumoha; Isak.

Tottenham Predicted Lineup vs. Liverpool

De Zerbi has suggested that he’ll make wholesale changes to his starting lineup at Anfield, but can the Italian afford not to give the visitors the best possible chance of progressing?

A balance may be struck between retaining key figures and offering opportunities to fringe roster members.

Spurs are still without Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons due to long-term knee injuries, while Mykailo Mudryk is sidelined with an ankle issue. James Maddison has been limited to a pair of cameo appearances at the start of the season, but could make his first start for the club since May 2025.

Fullbacks Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie are both being carefully managed, which means long-time Liverpool star Andy Robertson could get the nod on his old stomping ground.

Tottenham Predicted Lineup vs. Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Kinsky; Gray, Tosin, Senesi, Robertson; Bentancur, Bergvall; Kudus, Maddison, Tel; Marmoush.

What Time Does Liverpool vs. Tottenham Kick Off?

• Location: Liverpool, England
• Stadium: Anfield
• Date: Tuesday, Sept. 15
• Kickoff Time: 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT
• Referee: Andy Madley

How to Watch Liverpool vs. Tottenham on TV, Live Stream

• MORE: Full list of Carabao Cup broadcasters around the world

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Liverpool vs. Tottenham: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.

Premier League

Bayern Munich have not dismissed their admiration of Florian Wirtz, who has endured an happy year at Liverpool. Should the German playmaker be tempted away, Bayern would be primed to snap up the $157 million (£116 million) recruit. (Source: TEAMtalk)

Wirtz may be tempted to move onto pastures new by Liverpool’s ever-increasing interest in Bournemouth forward Rayan. The Reds are mulling over a move for Andoni Iraola’s former star player who would cost around $175.8 million (£130 million). (Source: Football Insider)

At the express recommendation of manager Xabi Alonso, Chelsea are lining up a $162.4 million (£120.1 million, €140 million) January bid for Barcelona’s attacking gem Fermín López. Such an agreement would break the club record arrival fee only set by Morgan Rogers this summer. (Source: El Nacional)

Arsenal have elbowed their way into the conversation for Nico Paz’s future. The highly-rated Argentine gem only signed for Como this summer but Real Madrid have the option of recalling the $69.6 million (£51.5 million, €60 million) sale for $92.8 million (£68.6 million, €80 million) next year. The Gunners are standing by. (Source: ElDesmarque)

Manchester United are willing to multiple Eric García’s Barcelona salary to tempt the Paris Saint-Germain target away from Camp Nou. However, any endeavor is unlikely to be successful. (Source: El Nacional)

Any prospect of former Manchester United forward Jadon Sancho returning to Borussia Dortmund for a third spell has been bluntly quashed. (Source: TEAMtalk)

Sergio Ramos is bracing himself for an entirely unexpected return to competitive action. The former Real Madrid icon is set to leave free agency and sign a contract with Aston Villa in the Premier League. (Source: Suporter Media)

Manchester United will face competition from Chelsea in the race to snap up Leicester City’s talented midfielder Louis Page. The Foxes have previously demanded $20.9 million (£15.4 million, €18 million) for the 18-year-old midfielder. (Source: Ekrem Konur)

United have, however, been given the edge in the race for the services of Juventus’ versatile defender Pierre Kalulu. (Source: TEAMtalk)

Liverpool have the option of making Ronald Araújo’s loan move from Barcelona permanent for $63.8 million (£47.2 million, €55 million) this summer. (Source: Fabrizio Romano)

Bayern Munich have firmly ruled themselves out of the race for Manchester City starlet Rayan Cherki. (Source: Christian Falk)

Chelsea are prepared to blow Barcelona out of the water with a bid worth up to $92.8 million (£68.6 million, €80 million) for Inter center back Alessandro Bastoni. (Source: El Nacional)

Tottenham Hotspur are the team tipped to win the race for Sporting CP’s fleet-footed wide man Geny Catamo. (Source: Ekrem Konur)

La Liga

In order to bring a definitive conclusion to rumbling rumors linking Raphinha with Arsenal, Liverpool and the Saudi Pro League, Barcelona are preparing to offer the Brazilian a contract extension which will make him the club’s highest-paid player, along with Rodri. (Source: El Nacional)

Real Madrid are mulling over a surprise approach for Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel. (Source: Ekrem Konur)

Barcelona are eyeing up Racing Santander fullback Jorge Salinas. The teenager was a target for Manchester United over the summer and is valued at $18.6 million (€16 million) by his boyhood club. (Source: Fichajes)

An alternative left back target for Barcelona is Inter Milan’s Federico Dimarco. Man Utd are also circling the 28-year-old who coming off a career year but has seen negotiations over a contract extension stall. (Source: Hooligan Soccer)

Luis Enrique has implored the powers that be at PSG to stump up $46.4 million (€40 million) for Barcelona’s midfield dynamo Gavi. (Source: El Nacional)

Former Real Madrid cult hero Joselu has been offered the chance to return to La Liga with Valencia after leaving Qatari side Al Gharafa over the summer. (Source: Fichajes)

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Transfer Rumors: Liverpool Eye $175 Million Wirtz Replacement; Fermin’s Record Barcelona Exit.

Premier League

Chelsea plan to submit another bid for Roma midfielder Manu Koné as soon as the January transfer window opens after learning of rival interest from Liverpool. (Source: Tuttomercatoweb)

The next few months will also see Chelsea open talks over a new contract with young winger Estêvão. Despite reports to the contrary, Estêvão is remaining patient in the face of a reduced role under Xabi Alonso. (Source: Fabrizio Romano)

Stuttgart are ready to rebuff interest in young defender Finn Jeltsch from the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Juventus. (Source: Tutto Juve)

Another Stuttgart star, attacking midfielder Bilal El Khannouss, is being followed by Crystal Palace, Everton, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur after rejecting an offer from Saudi Arabia. (Source: Fichajes)

Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Barcelona and Real Madrid are all keen on signing Borussia Dortmund center back Nico Schlotterbeck. (Source: El Nacional)

Liverpool officials have taken interest in Atlético Madrid midfielder Pablo Barrios after being impressed by the 23-year-old when the two sides met in the Champions League. (Source: Space)

Sunderland are readying a renewed push to sign Sporting CP winger Geny Catamo in January, when Tottenham are also expected to explore a move. (Source: Record)

Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu is being followed by a number of clubs in the Premier League, including Aston Villa, Liverpool, Man Utd and Tottenham. (Source: fussball-news)

Aston Villa and Liverpool have both shown interest in signing Fiorentina midfielder Cher Ndour. (Source: CaughtOffside)

Arsenal still want to boost their depth in defense and are monitoring 24-year-old Kike Salas of Sevilla with a view to a possible January bid. (Source: Fichajes)

Despite interest from Man Utd, Man City are planning to keep hold of left back Rayan Aït-Nouri beyond the January transfer window. (Source: Football Insider)

La Liga

Barcelona will make an offer of $58 million (€50 million) for Tottenham right back Pedro Porro once the January transfer window opens. (Source: Fichajes)

Also on Barcelona’s radar is Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Fabián Ruiz, whose potential arrival has already been approved by manager Hansi Flick. (Source: El Nacional)

Real Madrid regret their failure to sign midfield general Rodri this summer and plan to rectify that mistake in January, when Martín Zubimendi of Arsenal could enter their sights if he struggles for minutes with the Gunners. (Source: SPORT)

Eduardo Camavinga rejected an approach from Galatasaray this summer despite Real Madrid’s willingness to negotiate a deal. (Source: Matteo Moretto)

Following interest from Barcelona, Inter Milan are working to close an agreement over a new contract with left back Federico Dimarco. (Source: Gazzetta dello Sport)

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Transfer Rumors: Real Madrid Consider Zubimendi; Chelsea Decide Estevao Future.

There was a clean sweep of victories for English teams on the continent, while Hull City were the division’s only losing representatives in the cup. Celebrations will be short-lived, however, as attention immediately turns back to climbing the Premier League table.

Sunday’s Manchester derby is unquestionably the standout fixture of Gameweek 4, which boasts favorable home ties for Chelsea and Liverpool alongside an awkward away day for reigning champions Arsenal.

With plenty to enjoy over the coming round, here are Sports Illustrated’s predictions for how things might pan out.

Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest Prediction

Prediction: Aston Villa 2–1 Nottingham Forest

• Location: Birmingham, England
• Stadium: Villa Park
• Date: Saturday, Sept. 12
• Kickoff Time: 3 p.m. BST / 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT
• Referee: Andy Madley

Midlands derbies are few and far between in the Premier League this season, and while the rivalry between Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest is one of soccer’s tamer—or arguably non-existent—feuds, there’s plenty riding on Saturday’s meeting.

Both clubs journey to Villa Park without a victory in the Premier League, eager to set the record straight and ascend the standings.

Villa will be considered favorites, especially after their midweek triumph over Club Brugge. They won this fixture twice last season—including a 4–0 win in the Europa League semifinal—while Forest have lost their last five away days against Unai Emery’s side.

Bournemouth vs. Brentford Prediction

Prediction: Bournemouth 1–1 Brentford

• Location: Bournemouth, England
• Stadium: Vitality Stadium
• Date: Saturday, Sept. 12
• Kickoff Time: 3 p.m. BST / 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT
• Referee: Jarred Gillett

Bournemouth drew 47% of their Premier League matches last season under Andoni Iraola. New manager Marco Rose has decided to build upon that stalemate culture early in his reign, with the Cherries still awaiting their first victory under him.

Successive draws with Everton and Newcastle United have both seen them concede late equalizers, and history could repeat itself for a third time this weekend.

Brentford have also drawn their last two matches, both of which finished 1–1, and there appears little to separate them from their upcoming hosts.

It should prove an efficient if unspectacular occasion.

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Chelsea vs. Hull City United Prediction

Prediction: Chelsea 3–0 Hull

• Location: London, England
• Stadium: Stamford Bridge
• Date: Saturday, Sept. 12
• Kickoff Time: 3 p.m. BST / 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT
• Referee: Farai Hallam

An unstoppable force meets an immovable object this weekend as Chelsea’s fearsome forward line collides with an impenetrable Hull City defense.

There is a rather large caveat to Hull’s incredible start to the season, which has seen them collect seven points, keep three clean sheets and beat Manchester United. Their 5.0 expected goals (xG) conceded is one of the worst records in the division, hinting at an unsustainable run of form.

Chelsea should bring them back down to earth at Stamford Bridge as Xabi Alonso’s attack-heavy team looks to deliver more chaos. They have already recorded 3–2, 4–3 and 6–3 wins this season, but Saturday’s triumph could be more routine.

Crystal Palace vs. Ipswich Town Prediction

Prediction: Crystal Palace 2–1 Ipswich

• Location: London, England
• Stadium: Selhurst Park
• Date: Saturday, Sept. 12
• Kickoff Time: 3 p.m. BST / 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT
• Referee: Chris Kavanagh

How quickly the mood can change, eh? Crystal Palace appeared in real trouble after defeats to Everton and Manchester City, but last weekend’s thrilling win over Fulham was followed by a 3–0 midweek victory against Middlesbrough to further raise morale in south London.

Selhurst Park welcomes Ipswich Town this weekend as Pierre Sage seeks a third straight triumph.

The newly-promoted outfit kicked off by beating Sunderland, but defeats to Manchester United and Liverpool have served as a reality check. Gary O’Neil’s side have spent a fortune in the transfer market, but they remain one of the division’s weakest teams.

They will be desperate for a point at the very least from their trip to the capital.

Liverpool vs. Fulham Prediction

Prediction: Liverpool 3–1 Fulham

• Location: Liverpool, England
• Stadium: Anfield
• Date: Saturday, Sept. 12
• Kickoff Time: 3 p.m. BST / 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT
• Referee: Tom Bramall

The Andoni Iraola era has been ignited by back-to-back wins over Ipswich and Atlético Madrid. Liverpool remain an imperfect force with issues persisting in defense and midfield, but they’re taking some crucial steps in the right direction.

The resurgence of Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak has been a welcome sight early in the season—although the former could be absent through injury this Saturday—and the addition of Bradley Barcola makes an exciting forward line even stronger.

Fulham have the unenviable task of thwarting a confident group of attackers, and three defeats from three Premier League games makes for grim viewing ahead of Álvaro Arbeloa’s return to Anfield.

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Everton Prediction

Prediction: Tottenham 1–1 Everton

• Location: London, England
• Stadium: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
• Date: Saturday, Sept. 12
• Kickoff Time: 5:30 p.m. BST / 12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT
• Referee: Darren England

Despite their $425 million outlay over the summer, Tottenham Hotspur remain without a victory in the Premier League this season. Bruising defeats against Brentford and Newcastle United exposed familiar flaws, while the goalless draw with Nottingham Forest last weekend was only a marginal improvement.

Roberto De Zerbi desperately needs victory from Everton’s visit to north London, and a midweek free from distractions should have facilitated extra work on the training field. There can be no questions over the quality present in the Italian’s roster, but pressure is already growing.

The Toffees, who remain unbeaten and staged a dramatic late comeback against Man Utd last time out, will be awkward adversaries, even if they’ve lost their last five trips to face Spurs.

Sunderland vs. Arsenal Prediction

Prediction: Sunderland 0–1 Arsenal

• Location: Sunderland, England
• Stadium: Stadium of Light
• Date: Saturday, Sept. 12
• Kickoff Time: 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT
• Referee: John Brooks

Arsenal’s perfect start to the campaign continued in Italy on Wednesday as they edged past Napoli. The 1–0 scoreline wasn’t reflective of their dominance, with the Gunners racking up 4.05 expected goals but only finding the net once through the in-form Martin Ødegaard.

They’re no strangers to shading tight affairs. It’s a habit that helped them secure the title last season and make it to the Champions League final, and they might lean on a narrow win again at the Stadium of Light.

Goalscoring has been an issue for Sunderland this term, and they have only netted once in each of their four competitive games. Coming up against the world’s strongest defense, their lack of attacking spark could prove costly.

Coventry City vs. Brighton & Hove Albion Prediction

Prediction: Coventry 1–3 Brighton

• Location: Coventry, England
• Stadium: Coventry Building Society Arena
• Date: Sunday, Sept. 13
• Kickoff Time: 2 p.m. BST / 9 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT
• Referee: Tony Harrington

Coventry City are one of only two teams who are without a point this season, but their wait for a first Premier League draw or victory since May 2001 might be extended when Brighton & Hove Albion come to town.

The Seagulls have been largely impressive early in the campaign, even if they dropped one of their weaker performances in last weekend’s draw with Leeds United. Their attacking quality could make the difference, with eight goals already scored in their three league matches.

Coventry, meanwhile, are yet to score in the Premier League this season, and they will likely need more than one goal to get anything from Brighton.

Manchester United vs. Manchester City Prediction

Prediction: Man Utd 1–1 Man City

• Location: Manchester, England
• Stadium: Old Trafford
• Date: Sunday, Sept. 13
• Kickoff Time: 4:30 p.m. BST / 11:30 a.m. ET / 8:30 a.m. PT
• Referee: Michael Oliver

Arsenal vs. Chelsea delivered our first blockbuster Premier League encounter of the season last Sunday, and certainly lived up to its prematch billing. Can the Manchester derby do the same?

For the first time in over a decade, Pep Guardiola won’t be in the away dugout at Old Trafford for this local rivalry, with Enzo Maresca eager to make a winning start to what he hopes will be a long string of derby days.

The problem for the Italian is that despite his side’s four successive victories, City’s performances have been largely underwhelming to date as his players adapt to new demands and, for the summer recruits, an entirely new environment.

United haven’t been any better, however, delivering shaky performances away at Hull and Everton. Thrashings of Ipswich and Sabah on home soil aren’t enough to fill the stands with optimism ahead of Sunday’s affair.

This one really could go either way.

Leeds United vs. Newcastle United Prediction

Prediction: Leeds 2–2 Newcastle

• Location: Leeds, England
• Stadium: Elland Road
• Date: Monday, Sept. 14
• Kickoff Time: 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT
• Referee: Michael Salisbury

Leeds will still be slightly dazed on Monday after shipping six goals at Chelsea in the Carabao Cup midweek, but that shouldn’t knock Daniel Farke’s side off course. They’ve made an unbeaten start to their Premier League campaign and should extend that streak when Newcastle visit.

The Magpies were gutted over the summer, losing their manager and an array of their prized assets, but they have responded admirably under Matthias Jaissle. Like Leeds, they too have collected five points from their three outings.

For the third time this season, Newcastle could be involved in a 2–2 draw, with their counterattacking threat capable of hurting a Leeds team who have created plenty of chances themselves.

Premier League Predictions: Gameweek 4

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Sports Illustrated Predicts Every Premier League Gameweek 4 Score.

Premier League

Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle United are all chasing Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, who expects to seal a blockbuster transfer at some point over the next two windows. (Source: Hooligan Soccer)

Arsenal and Chelsea are both ready to double the salary of Barcelona forward Raphinha to convince him to return to the Premier League. (Source: El Nacional)

Meanwhile, Chelsea are also following Barcelona midfielder Marc Bernal as a potential long-term replacement for Enzo Fernández. (Source: GIVEMESPORT)

Tottenham Hotspur failed with a bid worth $24 million (£18 million) for Athletico Paranaense center back Arthur Dias during the summer window, with the 19-year-old valued closer to $35 million (£26 million). (Source: Globo Esporte)

Liverpool are still open to a loan move for Real Madrid striker Endrick but will have to convince the Brazilian, whose future hinges on the minutes he receives over the next three months, to snub a rival approach from AC Milan. (Source: Tribal Football)

Manchester United are ready to try and sign Bournemouth left back Adrien Truffert and winger Rayan in a double deal that could cost them as much as $203 million (£150 million). (Source: Football FanCast)

Arsenal, Liverpool, Man Utd and Bayern Munich are all chasing Stuttgart’s 20-year-old center back Finn Jeltsch. (Source: Fussballdaten)

Inter Milan midfielder Aleksandar Stanković remains a target for Liverpool after the Reds asked about the 21-year-old during the sale of Curtis Jones. (Source: TEAMtalk)

Scouts from Arsenal watched Roma right back Wesley in action during Thursday’s Champions League meeting with Fenerbahçe. (Source: 4-4-2)

Ronald Araújo has already made clear his interest in remaining with Liverpool when his loan with Barcelona ends next summer. (Source: Daily Mail)

La Liga

Yan Diomande is growing impatient with his limited role following his arrival at Real Madrid, believing he was promised more minutes. José Mourinho retains full faith in the young winger and is trying to introduce him to the team slowly to reduce the pressure on his shoulders. (Source: Okdiario)

Real Madrid are planning to sign Manchester City striker Erling Haaland next summer. Those close to Haaland insist a release clause can help facilitate a move, but City have denied the existence of such a mechanism. (Source: José Félix Díaz)

Barcelona are ready to make a swap offer for Atlético Madrid striker Julián Alvarez that would see them part ways with both midfielder Gavi and $93 million (€80 million) in cash. (Source: El Nacional)

Also of interest to Barcelona is Stuttgart midfielder Angelo Stiller. Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen and Juventus are known admirers of the 23-year-old. (Source: fussball-news)

Having failed with a summer pursuit, Barcelona are planning to reignite their interest in FC Twente center back Ruud Nijstad at a later date. (Source: Matteo Moretto)

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Transfer Rumors: Man Utd’s $200 Million Raid; Arsenal, Chelsea Battle for Raphinha.

Premier League

Liverpool have no intention of offering goalkeeper Alisson a new contract. The Brazilian is expected to become a free agent next summer and pull down the curtain on his Anfield career. (Source: Football Insider)

Xabi Alonso made it clear 18-year-old Kendry Páez is not in his plans, but Chelsea still plan on keeping the Ecuador international at Cobham. They prefer he plays for a club in one of Europe’s top five leagues, a quest they will revisit in January. (Source: TEAMtalk)

Arsenal are keeping tabs on AIK striker Kevin Filling. Scouts from north London have been in attendance to watch the teenager, who the club views as a long-term project. (Source: CaughtOffside)

The Gunners have competition from Chelsea, Liverpool and Juventus for Filling. The exciting young Swede is expected to fetch around $29 million (€25 million). (Source: CaughtOffside)

Manchester United have received a fatal blow to their hopes of signing Newcastle United left back Lewis Hall. The England international’s new contract with the Magpies does not include a release clause. (Source: Daily Mail)

Arsenal and Manchester City are monitoring Paris Saint-Germain defender Willian Pacho. The 24-year-old is under contract with the French club through 2031. (Source: Ekrem Konur)

Tottenham Hotspur are planning to reignite their pursuit of Brazilian wonderkid Arthur Dias. Spurs previously saw a $24.4 million (€21 million) offer rejected, and now face an asking price of $34.9 million (€30 million) to snatch the defender from Athletico Paranaense. (Source: ge.globo)

After his desired move to Trabzonspor collapsed, wantaway forward Richarlison is exploring legal options to terminate his contract with Spurs amid new interest from Brazilian side Vasco da Gama. (Source: The Sun)

Manchester United are leading the chase for Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu, but Tottenham, Aston Villa and Liverpool are all interested in the Frenchman as well. (Source: Ekrem Konur)

Aston Villa are in advanced talks to offer left back Ian Maatsen a new long-term contract to keep him out of United’s clutches. (Source: Football Insider)

La Liga

Arda Güler has agreed to sign a contract extension with Real Madrid. The deal keeps the Turkish midfielder at the Bernabéu through 2032. (Source: Fabrizio Romano)

The quick move from Los Blancos comes amid Chelsea’s renewed push to reunite Güler with former boss Alonso. The Blues were gearing up a seismic $116.2 million (€100 million) bid for the midfielder this winter. (Source: Fichajes)

Barcelona loanee Ronald Araújo already informed his camp he wants to complete a permanent move to Liverpool after his loan ends. The Reds hold an option to buy around $63.6 million (£47 million). (Source: indykaila)

Atlético Madrid have shown interest in Red Bull New York starlet Julian Hall, but they face competition from Leeds United, Borussia Dortmund and Monaco. (Source: TEAMtalk)

Following the dismissal of Fiorentina boss Fabio Grosso, Real Madrid are considering terminating Franco Mastantuono’s loan at the Italian outfit. (Source: Fichajes)

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Transfer Rumors: Chelsea’s $116 Million Guler Plan Shattered; Alisson’s Liverpool Exit.

Although Premier League fixtures for 2026–27 were made public in June, pretty much every match—with certain midweek exceptions—is provisionally scheduled for 3 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon, with dates and kickoff times subject to change until just a few weeks before.

That is because TV rights holders in the U.K. will take their pick of which matches to broadcast live, which involves changing the time—earlier or later—or potentially the day—to Friday, Sunday or Monday. If this happens too close to the event it can wreak havoc for fans attending matches, usually regarding transport to and from the stadium—and particularly for the away support.

The vast majority still use public transport to attend Premier League matches.

Accessing transport at certain times—like Sunday nights—is bad enough year round. But it’s even worse at Christmas when bus and train services run less frequently or shut down altogether. So, as much advance notice as possible is helpful.

The Daily Mail writes Manchester United were involved in talks with the Premier League and broadcasters to request that fans “be looked after” when considering TV picks. Several other clubs are believed to have been in similar contact.

Things are still not perfect. Manchester City fans traveling to and from Newcastle for an 8 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, Dec. 26, will be a challenge, for example. But at least the game chosen for a late start on Sunday, Dec. 27, is an all-London clash between Arsenal and Crystal Palace.

Big Change to Christmas Fixtures From Last Season

Soccer during the Christmas period has long been a big deal in England. Although matches haven’t been played on Christmas Day since the early 1960s, Boxing Day—Dec. 26—has become a sacred part of the calendar.

It was once the case that all 20 Premier League clubs would play on Boxing Day, regardless of what actual day of the week it fell. Change has meant TV picks spread the matchday over two or three days, yet as recently as 2024–25, most clubs still played on Dec. 26, which was a Thursday that year. Last season, there was criticism and major disappointment because only one match—Manchester United 1–0 Newcastle United—actually took place on Boxing Day.

This season, which sees Boxing Day fall on a Saturday, there are seven matches scheduled. The other three for that matchday will happen on Dec. 27.

Part of the attraction to Christmas soccer in England is the relentlessness of it. While other leagues—La Liga included—take time off during and/or after the holidays, the Premier League goes harder. In addition to Dec. 26/27, there is a full slate of matches on Dec. 29/30, on Jan. 1/2/3 and on Jan. 5/6/7. Every club will play four times within a maximum of 13 days.

Premier League Christmas Fixtures—Dec. 26–Jan. 7

Saturday, Dec. 26

• Aston Villa vs. Leeds United (12:30 p.m. GMT, 7:30 a.m. ET)
• Everton vs. Sunderland (3 p.m. GMT, 10 a.m. ET)
• Fulham vs. Brighton & Hove Albion (3 p.m. GMT, 10 a.m. ET)
• Ipswich Town vs. Brentford (3 p.m. GMT, 10 a.m. ET)
• Tottenham Hotspur vs. Bournemouth (3 p.m. GMT, 10 a.m. ET)
• Hull City vs. Liverpool (5:30 p.m. GMT, 12:30 p.m. ET)
• Newcastle United vs. Manchester City (8 p.m. GMT, 3 p.m. ET)

Sunday, Dec. 27

• Coventry City vs. Chelsea (2 p.m. GMT, 9 a.m. ET)
• Manchester United vs. Nottingham Forest (4:30 p.m. GMT, 11:30 a.m. ET)
• Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal (7 p.m. GMT, 2 p.m. ET)

Tuesday, Dec. 29

• Hull City vs. Leeds United (7:30 p.m. GMT, 2:30 p.m. ET)
• Tottenham Hotspur vs. Brighton & Hove Albion (7:30 p.m. GMT, 2:30 p.m. ET)
• Everton vs. Manchester City (8:15 p.m. GMT, 3:15 p.m. ET)

Wednesday, Dec. 30

• Coventry City vs. Brentford (7:30 p.m. GMT, 2:30 p.m. ET)
• Crystal Palace vs. Bournemouth (7:30 p.m. GMT, 2:30 p.m. ET)
• Fulham vs. Arsenal (7:30 p.m. GMT, 2:30 p.m. ET)
• Manchester United vs. Sunderland (7:30 p.m. GMT, 2:30 p.m. ET)
• Newcastle United vs. Nottingham Forest (7:30 p.m. GMT, 2:30 p.m. ET)
• Aston Villa vs. Liverpool (8:15 p.m. GMT, 3:15 p.m. ET)
• Ipswich Town vs. Chelsea (8:15 p.m. GMT, 3:15 p.m. ET)

Friday, Jan. 1

• Leeds United vs. Everton (8 p.m. GMT, 3 p.m. ET)

Saturday, Jan. 2

• Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Manchester United (12:30 p.m. GMT, 7:30 a.m. ET)
• Arsenal vs. Ipswich Town (3 p.m. GMT, 10 a.m. ET)
• Brentford vs. Crystal Palace (3 p.m. GMT, 10 a.m. ET)
• Liverpool vs. Coventry City (3 p.m. GMT, 10 a.m. ET)
• Nottingham Forest vs. Fulham (3 p.m. GMT, 10 a.m. ET)
• Sunderland vs. Hull City (3 p.m. GMT, 10 a.m. ET)
• Bournemouth vs. Aston Villa (5:30 p.m. GMT, 12:30 p.m. ET)

Sunday, Jan. 3

• Chelsea vs. Newcastle United (2 p.m. GMT, 9 a.m. ET)
• Manchester City vs. Tottenham Hotspur (4:30 p.m. GMT, 11:30 a.m. ET)

Tuesday, Jan. 5

• Arsenal vs. Brentford (7:30 p.m. GMT, 2:30 p.m. ET)
• Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Bournemouth (7:30 p.m. GMT, 2:30 p.m. ET)
• Everton vs. Aston Villa (7:30 p.m. GMT, 2:30 p.m. ET)
• Nottingham Forest vs. Hull City (7:30 p.m. GMT, 2:30 p.m. ET)
• Sunderland vs. Liverpool (7:30 p.m. GMT, 2:30 p.m. ET)

Wednesday, Jan. 6

• Crystal Palace vs. Chelsea (7:30 p.m. GMT, 2:30 p.m. ET)
• Fulham vs. Tottenham Hotspur (7:30 p.m. GMT, 2:30 p.m. ET)
• Ipswich Town vs. Coventry City (7:30 p.m. GMT, 2:30 p.m. ET)
• Leeds United vs. Manchester City (8:15 p.m. GMT, 3:15 p.m. ET)

Thursday, Jan. 7

• Manchester United vs. Newcastle United (8 p.m. GMT, 3 p.m. ET)

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Full Premier League 2026–27 Christmas Schedule: Big Changes, Boxing Day Mayhem.

Premier League

Martín Zubimendi is ready to push for an exit from Arsenal in January if he continues to struggle for minutes. Both Chelsea and Real Madrid have kept in contact with his representatives. (Source: TEAMtalk)

Real Madrid are also monitoring unsettled Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister and could pursue a swap deal that would see Eduardo Camavinga move to Anfield in exchange. (Source: Fichajes)

Chelsea, meanwhile, are likely to reignite their pursuit of Roma midfielder Manu Koné in January. The Blues could have their own swap deal on the cards, with winger Jamie Gittens keen to move in the opposite direction. (Source: Si Phillips)

Another target for Chelsea is Barcelona midfielder Fermín López. Xabi Alonso has received authorization over a move worth a whopping $139.5 million (£103 million). (Source: El Nacional)

Manchester City are admirers of Álex Baena but are unlikely to move for the Atlético Madrid winger in the January window. (Source: Football Insider)

Arsenal are exploring a possible move for Como midfielder Nico Paz but may have to navigate a buy-back clause held by Real Madrid. (Source: Bernabéu Digital)

Brazilian side Vasco da Gama believe a move for unhappy Tottenham Hotspur striker Richarlison is feasible in the coming days. (Source: O Globo)

Everton are considering making an offer to unattached striker Mauro Icardi to fix their lack of attacking depth following the collapse of Folarin Balogun’s proposed switch. (Source: TyC Sports)

Officials from both Manchester United and Tottenham watched Club Brugge striker Nicolò Tresoldi in action on Tuesday. (Source: TEAMtalk)

Everton held talks with Martin Ødegaard during his days as a youngster at Strømsgodset but failed to convince him to reject the allure of Real Madrid. (Source: Football Insider)

La Liga

Atlético Madrid striker Julián Alvarez is not prepared to agitate for a transfer to Barcelona in January and just wants to move on from the chaos endured during the summer window. (Source: El Nacional)

But Alvarez could end up back at former team Man City next summer, with the Premier League side exploring a reunion after holding talks with Barcelona over the sale of Erling Haaland. (Source: indykaila)

Atlético Madrid are also ready to rival Real Madrid for the signature of Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister if he becomes available. (Source: Fichajes)

In a bid to strengthen their finances and earn more spending freedom for future transfers, Barcelona have now cleared their debts from previous deals for Dani Olmo, Robert Lewandowski, Vitor Roque, Jules Koundé and Raphinha. (Source: SPORT)

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Transfer Rumors: Real Madrid Ready Mac Allister Swap; Barcelona Step Up Haaland Talks.

Pochettino is of the opinion that the Tottenham Hotspur side he was managing should be named as winners instead, having finished that season as runners-up. Chelsea were fined £10 million ($13.6 million at current market rate) and given a suspended transfer ban after breaching 74 rules relating to agent regulations between 2011 and 2018, but crucially received no on-field sanctions.

“I’ve said that we should win one title, one Premier League,” Pochettino said to reporters. “We should have been awarded it. If that was true, and that happened, for sure we deserve to be champions for that year. Because we were the second best.”

Tottenham lost just four games that season, picking up 86 points to finish comfortably ahead of Manchester City and Liverpool in third and fourth. Harry Kane and Dele Alli held the keys to Spurs’ success, scoring 47 goals between them as Kane picked up the Golden Boot award.

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Chelsea, meanwhile, finished seven points ahead on 93, winning the title in Antonio Conte’s first season in charge after the Italian switched to a back three after a desperately disappointing defeat at rivals Arsenal.

“They were punished, they admitted (it), so that’s it,” Pochettino continued of the charges Chelsea admitted to. “The title should be for the team that was second. We didn’t compete with the same rules. OK, now we can say that they scored goals, they won games. But it’s completely fair to say that we didn’t compete before the start of the season with the same card.

“Maybe with the same rules, if we apply the same things, maybe we could have signed some players that would have made the team better, or scored more goals. It’s not me complaining. It’s the truth.”

Pochettino’s View if Tottenham Had Been the Rule Breakers

Pochettino made clear that his viewpoint was in no way intended to take anything away from Chelsea’s performances on the pitch, nor Conte, who he proclaimed a “great coach”. But he added that “if you don’t punish the way that you need to punish” then “what is being promoted and incentivized is to break the rules.”

“If we were at Tottenham and broke the rules, I would admit the same and say, ‘Look, we don’t deserve the title because we broke the rules’.” he added. “It’s impossible if only some clubs play with offside and another plays with no offside. Or one plays with VAR and another plays with no VAR. No. For everyone, it needs to be the same rules, and the capacity to create the best team.”

Pochettino would not a win trophy with Tottenham before being sacked in November 2019, though he did reach the final of the Champions League with the Lilywhites—a competition the club have failed to qualify for regularly since his departure from north London.

‘It’s Different’—Return to Tottenham Not Out of the Question

Pochettino would go on to manage Chelsea for a season before parting ways—the move was poorly received by both sets of supporters—but did admit that Tottenham had been in contact over a potential return in the summer, though nothing came to pass because of his commitments with the United States men’s national team.

“They called all the coaches! Free and not free!” Pochettino said. “The problem was that the timings were never the best. When I was free, I never received a contact and then when I was working, I received a contact, but I cannot make the decision to come back. It was a little bit unlucky. But maybe one day the stars will align and it can happen. If I was free, of course, I would come. But I wasn’t free. I was preparing for the World Cup.”

Pochettino recently signed a new long-term contract with the USMNT, taking him through to the end of the 2030 World Cup, but the 54-year-old stated this particular deal “is different” because either party can choose to end the relationship early if things don’t go well at the Copa América or Gold Cup. He added that his team are “excited” about what’s ahead with the national team and “are thinking of spending four years until the next World Cup.”

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mauricio Pochettino: Give Tottenham 2016–17 Title Because Chelsea Broke Rules.

Premier League

Arsenal are readying a bid of $139.5 million (£103 million) to sign Atlético Madrid striker Julián Alvarez once the January transfer window opens. (Source: Fichajes)

The idea of a swap deal involving Alvarez and Arsenal striker Viktor Gyökeres was discussed during the summer. Gyökeres is not seen as untouchable and was even touted to officials in Saudi Arabia. (Source: Ben Jacobs)

Erling Haaland intends to leave Manchester City at the end of the season and has already held meetings to plan his next move. He would rather join Barcelona over Real Madrid, where he has concerns over the balance of power in a squad that already features Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham and Yan Diomande. (Source: El Nacional)

Liverpool and Manchester United are both tracking Newcastle United center back Malick Thiaw as a possible future target. (Source: CaughtOffside)

But Man Utd face frustration in pursuit of left back Lewis Hall, who has reached an agreement to extend his contract with Newcastle. (Source: Ben Jacobs)

Adam Wharton is expected to leave Crystal Palace by next summer at the very latest. The midfielder is eager to play regular European minutes, handing Liverpool a boost ahead of fellow suitors Newcastle. (Source: TEAMtalk)

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Man Utd are all tracking Atlético Madrid center back Marc Pubill. (Source: fussball-news)

Chelsea, Man Utd, Newcastle, Tottenham Hotspur and Atlético Madrid are all following 21-year-old Palmeiras striker Vitor Roque, formerly of Barcelona. (Source: Sportowy)

As they sought a replacement for Enzo Fernández during the summer, Chelsea showed late interest in Sander Berge from rivals Fulham. (Source: BBC Sport)

Alex Scott of Bournemouth is Chelsea’s top target to bolster in midfield and the Blues are ready to meet his lofty price tag to get a deal agreed as soon as January. (Source: TEAMtalk)

Scouts from both Arsenal and Man City were in attendence to watch Paris Saint-Germain center back Willian Pacho in action against Lille late last month. (Source: CaughtOffside)

Nottingham Forest could reignite interest in Tottenham midfielder Lucas Bergvall once the January transfer window opens. Chelsea and Newcastle were both keen in the summer. (Source: The Telegraph)

Stuttgart’s Bilal El Khannouss could return to the Premier League in the near future, with Crystal Palace, Everton, Newcastle and Tottenham all following the former Leicester City midfielder. (Source: Fussballdaten)

La Liga

Real Madrid have made a new contract for midfielder Jude Bellingham their next priority after his stellar start to the new season in order to avoid any future concerns about his future. (Source: Ramón Álvarez de Mon)

Frenkie de Jong is available for transfer at Barcelona, who are looking for a package worth $75.5 million (€65 million) to sell the Dutchman. (Source: El Nacional)

Real Madrid failed to strike a deal for Inter Milan center back Alessandro Bastoni during the summer because of the Serie A side’s refusal to negotiate their $81 million (€70 million) asking price. Raúl Asencio’s refusal to leave left Madrid without any room to invest in the defense. (Source: AS)

Barcelona have made contact with FC Twente over a deal for 18-year-old center back Ruud Nijstad, the teenager has confirmed. (Source: Voetbal International)

The representatives of striker Gabriel Jesus had been offering the Brazilian’s services to Barcelona for over a year before the La Liga champions eventually decided to pursue a move. (Source: SPORT)

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Transfer Rumors: Haaland Chooses Between Real Madrid, Barcelona; Arsenal’s Gyokeres Swap Plan.

The shortlists for the main Ballon d’Or award, the Women’s Ballon d’Or, the Kopa Trophy and a host of other awards are being revealed this Tuesday—follow along with Sports Illustrated as the players in contention are confirmed.

Confirmed Shortlists

• Ballon d'Or Nominees (Men’s and Women's)

• Kopa Trophy Nominees (Men’s and Women’s

• Yashin Trophy Nominees (Men’s and Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year)

• Club of the Year Nominees (Men’s and Women’s

• Coach of the Year Nominees (Men’s and Women’s)

This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2026 Ballon d’Or Nominees: Rankings Reveal As It Happened.

Premier League

Arsenal are preparing for the departure of striker Viktor Gyökeres, who could be allowed to leave as early as the January transfer window after losing his place in Mikel Arteta’s starting lineup. (Source: Fichajes)

Clubs from Saudi Arabia continue to monitor Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes and are ready to make bids for the Red Devils captain before their transfer window closes on Oct. 12 if no progress is made in talks over a new contract at Old Trafford. (Source: Football Insider)

Arsenal and Man Utd both looked into a deal for Al Hilal striker Mohamed Kader Meïté during the late stages of the summer transfer window. That interest remains, as does admiration from Aston Villa, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. (Source: TEAMtalk)

Midfielder Lamine Camara could leave Monaco in January as he continues to dream of a move to the Premier League. Chelsea saw a Deadline Day deal collapse, while Liverpool have also reached out to reinforce their interest in a future move. (Source: Ben Jacobs)

In response to the collapse of their Camara move, Chelsea contacted free agents Georginio Wijnaldum and Renato Sanches, but ultimately decided to keep faith in their current crop of midfielders. (Source: Foot Mercato)

Man Utd have already reached out to Borussia Dortmund to discuss a move for midfielder Felix Nmecha, who is also on the radar of former employers Man City. (Source: Fussballdaten)

Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Tottenham are all interested in signing Barcelona defender Eric García. (Source: Sportowy)

Richarlison rejected a Deadline Day move from Tottenham to Everton after the Toffees failed to meet his wage demands. (Source: Football Insider)

In response, Everton have contacted the entourage of former Man Utd striker Anthony Martial, who is available on a free transfer after leaving Mexican side Monterrey. (Source: Foot Mercato)

Liverpool, Man City and Fulham have all been offered the chance to sign former Real Madrid right back Dani Carvajal as he searches for his next club. (Source: TEAMtalk)

La Liga

Barcelona are ready to abandon plans to sign Atlético Madrid striker Julián Alvarez in January after being dazzled by Raphinha’s performances in a central role at the start of the season. (Source: El Nacional)

Real Madrid are interested in signing Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice, with a number of influential figures at the Bernabéu adamant the England international should be a top transfer target. Arsenal are trying to tie Rice down to a new contract. (Source: TEAMtalk)

If José Mourinho requests reinforcements in January, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez is ready to deliver, with Al Hilal midfielder Rubén Neves a potential target once again. (Source: Fichajes)

Barcelona were ready to sell midfielder Fermín López to Chelsea in the summer of 2025 for just $58 million (£43 million) to help solve their financial woes, but the Blues declined to bid so high for a player who has since established himself as one of the best in the world in his position. (Source: talkSPORT)

Enzo Fernández wanted to join Real Madrid “at all costs” this summer but Los Blancos simply were not interested in the midfielder, who accepted defeat and ultimately joined Man City instead. (Source: AS)

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Transfer Rumors: Man Utd Braced for Fernandes Bid; Real Madrid Eye Rice.

The deal to sign Ndiaye could be worth just shy of $88 million to Everton, with the 26-year-old having recorded 21 goal contributions in 74 games for the club, often dazzling supporters with his lightning-quick feet.

Spurs looked set on completing their attacking rebuild with the Senegalese international, with reports emerging after their 2–0 defeat to Newcastle United that a deal had been agreed. But they were
soon beaten to the punch by City, whom the player suggests he was always going to sign for once their interest became clear.

“I always say whatever comes, comes. God decides your future; it’s already written. I was just being patient, and when City came through, I was buzzing,” Ndiaye said, in quotes relayed by the Manchester Evening News.

“This is where I think I belong. I’ve worked hard to get to this point. When I was speaking with my wife, I was telling her that if I had to leave Everton, it would be somewhere where I know I would be playing Champions League," he added.

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Ndiaye Pivot Came After Cody Gakpo Interest

City had been interested in signing Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo, but they ultimately opted against selling the Dutchman and turned down an £80 million ($108 million) offer from the Manchester club.

Had the Reds sanctioned Gakpo’s sale, Ndiaye may well have made his Tottenham debut at the City Ground on Saturday. Instead, he was named in the starting lineup for City’s 1–0 victory over Coventry City, quickly wooing match-winner Erling Haaland.

Ndiaye hasn’t yet featured in the Champions League. In 2023–24, his former club Marseille were defeated in the third qualifying round by Panathinaikos after he’d just signed for them, and he joined Everton the following summer.

It was therefore imperative for him to take the next step at this point of his career, and Spurs’ domestic slump over the past two years means they are not competing in any European competition during 2026–27.

“For me, it was always going to be City," Ndiaye added. “I wanted Champions League and playing at one of the best teams in the world. I’m not saying Tottenham is not, but when Manchester City comes through, you don’t say no."

Ndiaye Quickly Learns High Standards of Man City Boss

While Haaland was taken aback by the City debutant on Saturday, describing Ndiaye’s dribbling as "amazing to see", manager Enzo Maresca was a little more measured in his assessment of the winger’s performance.

A fairly fluid iteration of City has been on show at the start of Maresca’s reign, but the Italian is a positionally rigid coach at heart, with players given specific instructions.

"Most of the time, he [Ndiaye] was moving in the wrong way, wrong direction, but he needs to learn, and for sure he's going to learn," Maresca said postmatch. Still, the new City boss was impressed enough after two sessions with Ndiaye to chuck him into the mix right away.

Ndiaye has stiff competition, with Antoine Semenyo starting the season strongly and Jérémy Doku soon returning from a calf injury. With that in mind, Ndiaye must be attuned with Maresca’s details to garner and retain the manager‘s faith if he’s to play significant minutes this season.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as New Signing Reveals Why Rejecting Tottenham for Man City Was Easy Decision.

This is the first season in the 138-year history of the English top flight that as many as three sides are still awaiting their first goal of a new campaign—and that’s not even including one of the two clubs to have lost all three games thus far this term.

Despite the largest spend in the history of the sport, almost ever club still ended the transfer window pining after at least one player that got away. All the teams are good when compared to the rest of Europe—that is the benefit of having more money than anyone else—but they are all flawed compared to each other. Which is what makes every round of action so interesting.

These are not remorseless winning machines, but flawed piles of blood and flesh. Some came closer in that strive for perfection than others this weekend.

Ranking Criteria

• Performance: This is the crux of the exercise: How well did each team play when considering the balance of a game divorced from the final score. If it was simply a judgment of the scoreboard you may as well go straight to the actual table.
• Expectations: Not all results are equal. Teams that upset the odds with their display are rewarded.
• Venue: As the behind-closed-doors season of 2020–21 proved, playing in front of your home fans is a huge advantage, so any away results are given a little extra bonus.

20. Ipswich (2–0 Loss vs. Liverpool)

“I hate having to talk about good performances when you don’t get points because you need to maximize them,” Gary O’Neil frowned on Friday night.

It was not entirely a “good performance” that he would be forced to talk about after watching his Ipswich team fail to reliably trouble this leaky iteration of Liverpool.

19. Aston Villa (0–0 Draw vs. Hull)

Clean sheet for Zion 🔒 pic.twitter.com/a8DBgeuDYe

— Aston Villa (@AstonVilla) September 5, 2026

The most concerning aspect of Aston Villa’s shockingly-blunt display at the MKM Stadium was Unai Emery’s insistence that the match had gone as he had planned. Presumably actually scoring a goal (or at least taking a shot on target) wasn’t part of the strategy.

18. Chelsea (2–1 Loss vs. Arsenal)

Chelsea got off to the perfect start. The last instruction Reece James received before kickoff was a whispered word from set-piece coach Austin MacPhee, who was soon leaping around maniacally to celebrate Morgan Rogers’s second-minute volley from the second phase of a dead ball.

However, the Blues were dragged into dark water by Arsenal thereafter, “suffering,” to use Xabi Alonso’s term, until Kai Havertz’s equalizer. Things were a little more even for the first 20 minutes of the first half but Chelsea never recovered from Martin Ødegaard’s deft winner five minutes after the restart.

For a side that has thrived when ceding possession to their opponents and springing forward in transition, it felt telling that Chelsea created almost nothing in the second half while having 49% possession.

17. Hull (0–0 Draw vs. Aston Villa)

Ensuring that clean sheet 🧱 pic.twitter.com/Xk6yaq084z

— Hull City (@HullCity) September 6, 2026

When quizzed on Hull’s riotous form after amassing seven points from their first three games, manager Sergej Jakirović joked: “Maybe expect to fight for a Champions League place?” Given their ease at containing an Aston Villa side actually competing in Europe’s premier club competition, perhaps it wasn’t such a wild comment.

16. Tottenham (0–0 Draw vs. Nottingham Forest)

Tottenham have struggled to get the ball into anything resembling a dangerous area so far vs Nottingham Forest pic.twitter.com/55re7PG51T

— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) September 5, 2026

In the excellent dark comedy “In Bruges”, the two lead characters are drawn into a discussion about people being divided into heaven and hell while looking at Hieronymus Bosch’s painting of the Last Judgment. “And what’s that other place?” Colin Farrell’s memorably asks himself. “Purgatory,” he remembers, “the in-betweeny one.”

“You weren’t really s---, but you weren’t all that great either,” he added. “Like Tottenham.”

Almost 20 years later, Spurs are still fitting that stereotype. It may have taken another 20 for Roberto De Zerbi’s side to score in a goalless draw befitting the nether region between heaven and hell.

15. Coventry (1–0 Loss vs. Man City)

With us right to the end. 🩵 pic.twitter.com/kYNDRGLNWk

— Coventry City (@CoventryCityFC) September 5, 2026

Not many teams limit a Manchester City side with Erling Haaland in it to just four shots on target at the Etihad Stadium. In fact, no team has done that since the first weekend of January. Had Coventry City been able to aim a few more shots on target of their own, they could perhaps have even come away with some points.

14. Crystal Palace (3–2 Win vs. Fulham)

No messing around, Tyrick Mitchell hammered it. pic.twitter.com/1b94qHJXxj

— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) September 6, 2026

Pierre Sage had a simple simile for Crystal Palace’s first win of the new season. “It’s like with a car,” he smiled, “You put some petrol inside and you can drive.” The Eagles were running on fumes for large swathes of a chaotic trip across the capital, giving up a frankly ridiculous amount of territory: Fulham had 64 touches inside Palace’s box. For every nine passes the Cottagers completed, they found a way into the opposition’s penalty area.

Yet, thanks to Dean Henderson and a healthy dose of good fortune, Sage’s car got rolling.

13. Fulham (3–2 Loss vs. Crystal Palace)

Josh's second of the season. ✨ pic.twitter.com/ri80xmAqm2

— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) September 5, 2026

Not many beaten teams offer so much promise that they receive the pity of the rival manager. “I’m disappointed for the other team and the coach, too,” Pierre Sage admitted after his Crystal Palace side came out on top of a topsy-turvy contest.

For all Sage’s sympathy, and Álvaro Arbeloa’s insistence that his side would have won the match had they taken their ample chances, Fulham gave up a hatful of opportunities with a wild press that left them so exposed thatstriker Gonzalo García was forced to track back into his own box. No system made him air-kick his clearances, however.

12. Brighton (1–1 Draw vs. Leeds)

Luka with his first #PL goal for the Albion! 🇭🇷💫 pic.twitter.com/MBf9Nm5POW

— Brighton & Hove Albion (@BHAFC) September 5, 2026

Not for the first time this season, Brighton “woke up too late,” to borrow the phrase used by Luka Vušković, whose second-half equalizer bailed out the dozy Seagulls.

11. Nottingham Forest (0–0 Draw vs. Tottenham)

Clean sheet on his 100th Forest outing. 🧤 pic.twitter.com/o8flG9EpCp

— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) September 6, 2026

Neither Oliver Glasner nor Neco Williams could look beyond the controversial nature of Nottingham Forest’s disallowed goal. Williams was effectively punished for protecting his face from Sandro Tonali’s boot with his arms, which brushed against the ball before it trundled over the line.

However, there must be some internal questions about how Forest only got the ball over the line with that illegal bundle against this soft-centered iteration of Tottenham.

10. Brentford (1–1 Draw vs. Sunderland)

Clinical from Vitaly Janelt ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/vPFmpkJ2lE

— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) September 5, 2026

It took a triple half-time substitution from Keith Andrews, including the sacrifice of everybody’s favorite summer signing, Mamadou Sangaré, but Brentford eventually spluttered into life to do just about enough to earn a point.

9. Leeds (1–1 Draw vs. Brighton)

🤳 Pitchside view of JB’s goal! pic.twitter.com/Sp3vBRC0YC

— Leeds United (@LUFC) September 6, 2026

Rarely has there been a contest which perfectly fits the cliché of “a game of two halves.” After dominating the xG count 1.90–0.06 in the first 45 minutes, Leeds found themselves facing 17 shots from Brighton in the second half while amassing just four of their own. All in all, Daniel Farke was satisfied with “a good point.”

8. Sunderland (1–1 Draw vs. Brentford)

Enzo Le Fée slots away his first goal of the 2026-27 campaign! 🕷️💪 pic.twitter.com/kZ10hfgSZ2

— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) September 5, 2026

When Enzo Le Fée stepped up to take a penalty against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium with Sunderland trailing 1–0 in January, a pitiful Panenka attempt was caught by Caoimhin Kelleher. Sunderland lost 3–0.

Eight months later, when presented with the same goalkeeper from the same spot with the same score against the same opponents, Le Fée leathered an equalizer into the bottom corner to secure a just share of the spoils in west London.

7. Man Utd (2–2 Draw vs. Everton)

Anyone can get undone by a wonder goal—that is the fickle beauty of this sport. However, Manchester United had not pulled themselves so far clear of Everton to remove themselves from the threat of becoming a hostage to fortune.

A resoundingly toothless first half display turned this into a 45-minute shootout and United never got to grips with the one avenue of threat for which Everton don’t even need a striker: set pieces.

6. Bournemouth (2–2 Draw vs. Newcastle)

AS8 💫 pic.twitter.com/YMYxAuBqfh

— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) September 6, 2026

Even Marco Rose had to admit that Bournemouth’s habit of dropping points through late goals is becoming a “real problem.” The Cherries have taken the lead in every game this season and are still winless. Bournemouth were 2–0 up at St. James’s Park after bullying Newcastle into submission only to be held to a draw thanks to Jacob Ramsey’s 88th-minute equalizer.

Rose’s solution was for his team to “put the finger in the Wunde [not bunda, as many people misheard],” meaning to look their demons straight in the eye by putting their finger in the wound.

5. Everton (2–2 Draw vs. Man Utd)

You only get one chance to make a first impression.

Nailed it, Ainsley. 🫶 pic.twitter.com/cEu8a1snPV

— Everton (@Everton) September 6, 2026

Everton had to wait for Ainsley Maitland-Niles to score an outrageous 96th-minute screamer to secure a point, but the Toffees were well worth their share of the spoils in a performance which saw them register more xG, shots, shots on target and touches in the opposition box than their lofty opponents.

4. Newcastle (2–2 Draw vs. Bournemouth)

Bend it like Barnes. 💫 pic.twitter.com/AWEHv2qARy

— Newcastle United (@NUFC) September 5, 2026

Matthias Jaissle rightly described Newcastle’s defending as “slapstick,” which was an accurate adjective and one made all the more impressive given the German plucked it out of his second language.

3. Man City (1–0 Win vs. Coventry)

This was a war of attrition. “These kind of games, nine [times] out of 10, you finish with a bad feeling,” Enzo Maresca warned. When faced with Coventry’s stubborn low block, City could only tease apart the tight stitching once—fortunately Erling Haaland was on hand to head in.

There was little cut and thrust aside from a very well-worked goal and a nervy conclusion to proceedings left Maresca fretting over the improbable nature of the result.

2. Liverpool (2–0 Win vs. Ipswich)

This was much more like it. As Andoni Iraola admitted: “We needed this one.”

After playing with the naivety of schoolkids, Liverpool finally put together a performance befitting of actual adults in calming dismantling Ipswich Town. Alexander Isak scored his first brace for the club, Cody Gakpo continued to enjoy a new lease of life and Virgil van Dijk strolled around with the authority of old.

The tame opposition may have helped, but it was still an encouraging display. “We are starting to get to the way we want to play,” Isak warned.

1. Arsenal (2–1 Win vs. Chelsea)

There was an odd mix of brilliant balmy weather and the sense this could have major consequences on the Premier League title race. These type of fixtures feel as though they should be saved for winter chill, permutations discussed through a fog of hot air rather than chatting transfers over an iced drink.

Yet, the way that Arsenal soft-pedalled to victory against a side upheld as one of their closest challengers can only be seen as a statement. Despite tumbling behind to a disappointing set piece, Arsenal had by far the better of the remainder of the game, bombarding Emiliano Martínez’s goal while limiting this free-flowing iteration of Chelsea to just 0.35 xG.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ranking All 20 Premier League Teams’ Performances on Matchday Three.

Premier League

Manchester United are not interested in a move for David Alaba or any other available free agents, believing the Austrian—an older player with high wage demands—represents the sort of mistake the club has made in the past. (Source: Manchester Evening News)

Newcastle United left back Lewis Hall is prepared to sign a two-year contract extension at St James’ Park in a blow to Man Utd’s desire to strike a deal. (Source: NUFCBLOG)

Scouts from Chelsea and Liverpool both watched Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara in action against Paris Saint-Germain on Friday. Officials from Arsenal and Manchester City were also in attendence. (Source: TEAMtalk)

Liverpool are still hopeful of striking a deal to sign Brighton & Hove Albion winger Yankuba Minteh once the January transfer window opens. (Source: Football Insider)

Arsenal are drawing up their own plans for January. Alongside Atlético Madrid’s Julián Alvarez on a two-man shortlist is Bournemouth striker Junior Kroupi. (Source: CaughtOffside)

Chelsea are working to try and sign Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott immediately in a deal that would allow the Cherries to keep him until the end of the current campaign. The Blues hope to fend off significant interest from a number of domestic rivals. (Source: TEAMtalk)

Man City negotiated a buy-back clause for Argentine midfielder Claudio Echeverri worth $58 million (£43 million) as part of their agreement to send him on loan to Benfica, who hold the option to sign the 20-year-old permanently next summer. (Source: Record)

If he lives up to expectations, Tottenham Hotspur will have no issues triggering their $101 million (£75 million) option to sign Chelsea loanee Mykhailo Mudryk permanently. (Source: Football Insider)

Lens received approaches from both Aston Villa and Sunderland for left back Matthieu Udol during the summer but quickly made it clear they had no interest in selling. (Source: Sébastien Denis)

Christopher Nkunku rejected interest from both Man Utd and Newcastle in favor of a return to RB Leipzig this summer. (Source: BILD)

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE WITH SI FC’S QUICKFIRE QUIZZES

• 2 Minute Quiz: Name the 10 Most Expensive Premier League Summer Signings of 2026

• 1 Minute Quiz: Name the Premier League Golden Boot Winners of the 2020s

La Liga

Real Madrid explored a move to re-sign striker Karim Benzema during the summer but could not navigate his contractual issues with Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal. By the time the Frenchman’s contract was terminated, Los Blancos were no longer interested. (Source: Fichajes)

AC Milan are already preparing a January move to sign Real Madrid striker Endrick on loan, although their chances of success will depend entirely on whether he sees significant minutes under José Mourinho. (Source: Calciomercato)

Barcelona have informed winger Lamine Yamal of their plans to build a blockbuster attacking lineup in 2027. Atlético’s Julián Alvarez remains a target, but plans are already being put in place to try to sign Erling Haaland from Man City. (Source: El Nacional)

As far as the January window is concerned, Barcelona have around $70 million (€60 million) available to spend under their Financial Fair Play allocation. While this could be spent on a new player, some inside the club are considering utilizing a La Liga initiative which, if confirmed before the winter window opens, would see 75% of that money added to next season’s wage cap instead. (Source: SPORT)

Among José Mourinho’s first actions as Real Madrid manager was telling Dani Ceballos directly that he did not have a future at the club, which is why Los Blancos ultimately agreed to let the midfielder leave on a free transfer. (Source: AS)

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Transfer Rumors: Barcelona Ready Haaland Bid; Man Utd Suffer Huge Hall Blow.

Premier League clubs, as usual, were the major protagonists, spending an eye-watering $4.8 billion on signings, but teams from other major leagues in Europe and beyond were also willing to loosen the purse strings.

While there were plenty examples of astute business being conducted, the window was not without some head-scratching deals. After all, with thousands of players on the move, some ill-advised transfers are inevitable.

Here are eight of the worst signings made during the 2026 summer window.

Sávio

• Transfer: Manchester City to Tottenham Hotspur
• Fee: $101.9 million

Supporters were so stunned by Sávio’s $101.9 million price tag that many assumed some creative accounting was being employed as Tottenham Hotspur signed the Brazilian and his Manchester City teammate Omar Marmoush in quick succession.

Reports hinted at a sell-on clause Man City were reluctant to pay to Marmoush’s former club Eintracht Frankfurt, thus explaining why Sávio’s price tag was so dear in comparison to the Egyptian’s. However, when that theory was debunked, there were no shortage of raised eyebrows across the soccer world.

The fact Spurs were willing to spend such a vast sum on someone with a record of two Premier League goals in two seasons at the Etihad was perplexing, and Sávio will have to make a fast start in north London if he hopes to merit his valuation.

Mykhailo Mudryk

• Transfer: Chelsea to Tottenham Hotspur
• Fee: Loan

One of several surprising Spurs transfers came on deadline day. A move for Chelsea center back Tosin Adarabioyo confused the club’s fanbase, but the parallel loan deal for Mykhailo Mudryk sent many over the edge.

After all, the Ukrainian winger hadn’t played a competitive match in nearly two years due to a doping ban which was recently lifted, and his performances were wildly inconsistent before his long stint out of the action.

Effectively, Tottenham have decided to rehabilitate one of their rivals’ big-money signings. If he succeeds, they can activate an astonishing option to buy worth $101.9 million—the same amount spent on Sávio. If he struggles, Spurs only have themselves to blame for such a risky gamble.

Liam Delap

• Transfer: Chelsea to Nottingham Forest
• Fee: $61.2 million

Chelsea recouped $520 million through player sales this summer, with many of their departees deemed surplus to requirements. Liam Delap was one of those they were desperate to shift after a disastrous debut season which yielded just three goals in 49 appearances.

The fact another Premier League club was willing to offer Delap a redemption opportunity is not particularly surprising, especially considering he had scored 12 goals in England’s top flight with Ipswich Town during the 2024–25 campaign.

However, Nottingham Forest’s willingness to spend $61.2 million the striker—who Chelsea only bought for $40.6 million—sent many jaws to the floor. Such a sum is simply unjustifiable, even in an inflated market.

Emmanuel Emegha

• Transfer: Strasbourg to Chelsea
• Fee: $28.5 million

Chelsea made plenty of room in Xabi Alonso’s roster through player sales and refilled their dressing room with 11 new players. There was the usual sea of fresh-faced wonderkids, but, for a change, a healthy number of experienced, Premier League-proven veterans, too.

Emmanuel Emegha falls into the category of the former and was a deal Chelsea actually agreed last September. Signed from sister club Strasbourg for $28.5 million, the 23-year-old was expected to serve as João Pedro’s understudy in a season without European soccer.

However, with the Blues signing Danny Welbeck, the Dutchman is now third-choice in a one-striker system. Unfortunately for Emegha, that means an uphill battle for regular game time, and will likely result in his career stagnating. What a waste.

Randal Kolo Muani

• Transfer: Paris Saint-Germain to Juventus
• Fee: $43.8 million

For $43.8 million, one would expect to sign a clinical center forward in red-hot form. Juventus, however, decided their former loanee Randal Kolo Muani justified that fee, despite his struggles with Tottenham Hotspur last season.

A temporary stint in north London brought just five goals in 41 appearances and a series of unspectacular displays. There were few moments of redemption for the Frenchman as Spurs slumped to 17th in the Premier League.

Paris Saint-Germain must be applauded for their negotiation skills after convincing Juve to part ways with a massive sum for the 27-year-old, whose 10-goal spell on loan in Turin clearly won him plenty of admirers.

Gonçalo Ramos

• Transfer: Paris Saint-Germain to AC Milan
• Fee: $80 million

Juventus were not the only Italian giants to source their new No. 9 from PSG. Keen to back Ruben Amorim in his first transfer window, AC Milan sanctioned a costly deal for Gonçalo Ramos, who spent last season playing second fiddle to Ballon d’Or-winning Ousmane Dembélé.

The Portugal international was merely a rotation option in Luis Enrique’s side, coming into matches as a late substitute or starting straightforward Ligue 1 fixtures. He managed 13 goals in 50 outings, which apparently merits an $80 million fee in modern soccer.

For such a price tag, the Rossoneri should have been signing one of the world’s leading strikers, or an up-and-comer with immense potential. Splashing that amount on Ramos feels unwise, even if he’s a perfectly decent striker.

Gabriel Martinelli

• Transfer: Arsenal to Al Hilal
• Fee: $81.5 million

Gabriel Martinelli’s $81.5 million move to Al Hilal isn’t bad for Arsenal or his new employers, both of whom will be content with the transfer and the finances involved. But it certainly seems an odd and disappointing decision for Martinelli to take, with the Brazilian prioritizing a pay day over a genuine challenge at one of Europe’s elite clubs.

At just 25 years old, it’s a strange time for the winger to leave the limelight. While he endured a difficult season in 2025–26 despite Arsenal’s success, there’s no reason he couldn’t have rebuilt his reputation as an industrious and tricky forward for a Champions League club.

On his day, Martinelli remains a serious attacking threat with his blend of speed and endeavor, skills which a plethora of clubs could have utilized in the coming seasons.

Mohamed Salah

• Transfer: Liverpool to Trabzonspor
• Fee: Free

For Trabzonspor, signing Mohamed Salah was quite the coup. The legendary Liverpool winger was available on a free transfer and had a lengthy list of interested suitors, even if many of them resided outside of Europe’s leading leagues.

Yes, the Turkish side will have to pay Salah colossal wages, but in return they’re getting a global icon still capable of delivering world-class performances on his day.

For Salah, however, this deal is less impressive. A move to Saudi Arabia or Major League Soccer made sense and would have offered more glamor, but the switch to Türkiye’s fourth-biggest club is more than a tad underwhelming.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as The Worst Transfers of the 2026 Summer Window.

Premier League

Speculation continues to mount surrounding Arsenal striker Viktor Gyökeres’s future in north London after becoming an afterthought this season. Still, it is unlikely the club parts ways with the Swede after paying an initial $74.2 million (€63.5 million) for his signature just last summer. (Source: Foot Mercato)

Liverpool are planning to reignite their pursuit of Crystal Palace forward Ismaïla Sarr during the January transfer window after failing to sign him this summer. The 28-year-old remains keen on making Anfield his new home. (Source: Football Insider)

The Reds also have added three natural right wingers to their shortlist for the 2027 summer transfer window: Chelsea’s Estêvão and Pedro Neto as well as Bournemouth’s Rayan. (Source: Fichajes)

Arsenal and Manchester City are also interested in Neto, as are Saudi Pro League giants Al Hilal. Chelsea view the Portugal international as a valuable asset, though, and have set his price tag around $92.9 million (€80 million). (Source: CaughtOffside)

After Bruno Fernandes’s sensational 2025–26 campaign, Manchester United want to accelerate contract talks to lock down the midfielder to a new long-term deal in the coming months. (Source: Football Insider)

Before City turned their attention to Enzo Fernández, they were pursuing Bayern Munich midfielder Aleksandar Pavlović. The Citizens were prepared to make a $116.1 million (€100 million) offer, but the German rebuffed the club’s advances. (Source: BILD)

After failing to sign Leicester City youngster Louis Page on Deadline Day, United are still in talks with the Foxes and remain confident of one day bringing the teenager to Old Trafford. (Source: Manchester Evening News)

Tottenham Hotspur are working to find a new club for wantaway striker Richarlison after his desired move to Trabzonspor collapsed. Spurs are exploring a potential deal with the Saudi Pro League, while moves to Brazil or Portugal have not been ruled out. (Source: TEAMtalk)

After terminating his contract with Al Hilal, Karim Benzema could attract interest from Premier League clubs now that he is a free agent. (Source: talkSPORT)

Despite recurring interest from the Saudi Pro League, Newcastle United have no intention of selling Joelinton. In the aftermath of losing Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimarães, the Magpies are unwilling to part ways with another midfielder. (Source: TEAMtalk)

La Liga

A move for Real Madrid striker Endrick in January is looking more and more likely, and Manchester United are willing to pay up to $81.3 million (€70 million) for the Brazilian. (Source: Fichajes)

Barcelona is planning to increase Xavi Espart’s release clause, which currently sits at $23.2 million (€20 million), to ensure the La Masia gem’s future remains firmly at the Camp Nou. (Source: SPORT)

The defending Spanish champions are taking a similar approach with striker Hamza Abdelkarim. Barcelona want to raise the teenager’s release clause from $17.4 million (€15 million) to $174.2 million (€150 million) to ward off any potential suitors. (Source: AS)

Real Madrid are considering selling Rodrygo in the January transfer window. The winger is recovering from an ACL injury and will find himself on the fringes when he returns, competing with Arda Güler, Yan Diomande and Brahim Díaz for minutes on the right wing. (Source: Fichajes)

On Barcelona’s radar for next summer is Manchester City winger Jeremy Monga. The Catalans are considering an offer worth $23.2 million (€20 million) for the 17-year-old. (Source: Fichajes)

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Transfer Rumors: Man Utd’s $81 Million Endrick Plan; Benzema’s Premier League Move.

Mourinho’s sharp tongue is legendary. “I think sometimes I can be very aggressive with my vocabulary,” the revered communicator admitted in his recent documentary. There was recognition but no recompense. Press conferences are “a place where I usually win,” he shrugged.

However, a career as incendiary as Mourinho’s which has stretched beyond two decades is always going to include a few comments that even the Portuguese provocateur may come to regret.

Parrott had to wait more than six years to offer his own riposte on the pitch, but the “privileged” son did eventually return.

Mourinho’s ‘Educational Process’ With Parrott

Back in March 2020, Mourinho didn’t have a single senior striker fit for Tottenham, but he did have one kid lighting it up for the U-23s. Parrott had sparked such a fervor among the Spurs fanbase that supporters had taken to chanting for the then-21-year-old who had just five minutes of Premier League experience to his name.

“This is a world where lots of people, they don’t even know if Troy has long hair or short hair. Or is blonde or is dark,” Mourinho scoffed. “They don’t even know that and speak about: Troy, Troy, Troy, Troy, he should play. There was a guy behind me on the bench the other day: ‘Play Troy, play Troy.’ I don’t think he knows Troy.”

Mourinho’s reluctance to play Parrott stemmed from his attitude rather than his ability.

“Every time he was playing with the kids, he was playing with the mentality of, ‘I shouldn’t be here’ or ‘I am too good to be here’ or ‘It’s not here that I want to play,’” the former Spurs coach claimed. “And this is an educational process that comes. I have no problem to say because I know that he will confirm.”

“Troy cannot go there [the under‑age teams] with discontent, contempt. It is a process,” Mourinho added.

The Portuguese boss saw enough in the striker’s attitude to bring him on against Norwich City in the FA Cup that month but Parrott had his penalty saved in a humiliating shootout defeat. He would never make another senior appearance for Mourinho.

The Republic of Ireland international was loaned out to Millwall a few months after his public dressing down and accepted the criticism. “To be fair, he’s such an experienced manager and he's done nearly everything in the game, so if he feels like that’s right then there must be some truth in it and I had to take it on the chin,” Parrott explained.

“I was speaking to coaching staff and players finding out what I needed to do to be better. Because, obviously, Mourinho has worked with some of the best strikers there’s ever been.”

Parrott would never make the cut at Tottenham, under Mourinho or any other manager, but impressed enough during two years in the Netherlands with AZ Alkmaar to earn an $18.6 million (£13.8 million, €16 million) move to Real Betis this summer. After two blanks to start the campaign, Parrott announced himself to his new home crowd with the only goal in Friday’s narrow victory over Mourinho’s Madrid.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jose Mourinho’s Jibes From Six Years Ago Haunt First Real Madrid Defeat.

The aforementioned figure was once an esteemed superstar, a soccer player whose reputation preceded them. There was an air of mystique and a sense that they were something different, unlike anything we’d seen before.

Now, the concept of ’value’ has been sapped from soccer’s collective consciousness. Financial regulations may be in play, but the modern-day superpower is generating more money than ever, and there’s seemingly a greater willingness to spend vast sums not even on the finished product.

Mere potential—what you could become, not what you already are—can turn you into a $100 million (£74 million) man. The Premier League has emerged as the home of transfer brazenness, and in the summer of 2026 alone, nine players either moved to the English top flight or were transferred from within for a nine-figure sum.

Here’s how Sports Illustrated ranks the 22 total $100 million+ signings in the competition’s history.

22. Antony—Ajax to Man Utd ($100.2 million)

Dollar-for-dollar, pound-for-pound, it has to be the worst signing in Premier League history.

Brazilian winger Antony, who earned his mammoth price tag off the back of two good—but hardly great—seasons with Ajax, set Manchester United back $100.2 million (£74 million) in 2022 at the start of Erik ten Hag’s reign.

He, of course, was someone the new manager knew well, but Ten Hag’s judgment has often proven to be more erroneous than savvy after earning the loftiest of reputations for guiding Ajax into the semifinals of the 2018–19 Champions League.

Antony’s Premier League career started with three goals in his first three games, but that was as good as it got for the slight wide man. There were few redeeming qualities, and although he’s since prospered at Real Betis in Spain, few United supporters are devastated that he‘s no longer struggling to cut onto his left foot at the Theatre of Dreams.

21. Romelu Lukaku—Inter Milan to Chelsea ($135 million)

This was supposedly a major statement from the European champions, who sought to dominate English soccer for a period with Thomas Tuchel at the helm.

Romelu Lukaku was chastized during the latter stages of his Manchester United career, but reinvented by Antonio Conte at Inter Milan. The Italian helped Lukaku rediscover his most destructive form, and he re-emerged as one of Europe’s deadliest hitmen at San Siro.

The majority thought that a striker-needy Chelsea were justified in spending as much as they did to bring him back to Stamford Bridge in 2021. He was meant to be the missing piece.

However, instead of spearheading a prosperous era in west London, Lukaku clashed with Tuchel and blamed the German for failing to maximize him. He voiced his discontent in an interview with Sky Italia midway through the season, and returned to Inter on loan after just a single season in west London.

Lukaku’s second bite of the cherry returned just eight goals in 26 Premier League outings.

20. Sandro Tonali—Newcastle to Spurs ($133 million)

There have been plenty of recent additions to the list, so we’re projecting somewhat with the likes of Tonali.

The Italian was superb for Newcastle United in 2024–25 but went off the boil somewhat last season. He’s not a $133 million (£98 million) midfielder, yet that doesn’t render Tonali useless.

Rival supporters mocked Spurs for merely boasting an interest in the 26-year-old, believing the midfielder would never opt for north London, given who else was hunting his signature.

However, Tonali was in fact smitten by Roberto De Zerbi’s project (and a healthy pay packet). In response, those same mockers have since coalesced to smear Tonali’s talent.

Sure, he’s somewhat functional and limited in terms of what he can do with the ball, but Tonali also has the potential to be a midfield powerhouse for a Spurs team that suddenly looks to be on an upward trajectory.

19. Alexander Isak—Newcastle to Liverpool ($170 million)

Alexander Isak’s St. James’ Park return on the opening weekend of the 2026–27 Premier League season summed the Swede’s time at Liverpool up: meek.

Isak was hindered by a leg break midway through his debut campaign, but we’re still yet to see the swashbuckling center forward who was the envy of the rest of the English top flight when he was strutting his stuff up on Tyneside.

It took Liverpool a Premier League-record transfer fee of $170 million (£125 million) to secure his services in Sept. 2025, and few batted an eyelid when the move went through. Isak had deserved such attention, but Reds supporters are wondering if they’ll ever see the version of Isak they thought they were buying.

18. Florian Wirtz—Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool ($133 million)

We’ve got a year of Florian Wirtz at Liverpool to judge, and his start to life on Merseyside was anything but plain sailing.

Wirtz garnered a lofty reputation for starring amid Bayer Leverkusen’s unbeaten Bundesliga season in 2023–24, and had the chance to make the obvious move to Bayern Munich the following summer. He resisted, though, and instead opted for the rigors of English soccer, which haven’t been kind to him so far.

His debut season returned 17 goal contributions in 49 games, which was by no means disastrous, but when you spend as much as Liverpool did to sign him, you’re expecting much more, especially on the big occasion.

Worryingly, Wirtz hasn’t looked like a superstar at Anfield. However, many suspect that the German was hindered by Arne Slot’s car crash of a second season in charge of the club, and there are hopes that Andoni Iraola will reinvigorate the playmaker.

17. Sávio—Man City to Tottenham ($115 million)

Tottenham’s year-long pursuit of Man City winger Sávio ended with the suddenly free-spending Lilywhites splashing a drastically-inflated fee to finally land their man late last month.

$115 million (£85 million) is a remarkable figure for a wide player with such underwhelming final third output, but Spurs are banking on the Brazilian maximizing his distinct potential.

Sávio’s promising debut season has been thrust to the wayside by naysayers, who have harshly judged him through a disrupted sophomore campaign. There’s plenty for Roberto De Zerbi to work with, and while he needs to do plenty to justify his price tag, Sávio is intent on silencing a few in North London.

16. Kai Havertz—Bayer Leverkusen to Chelsea ($115.5 million)

Plenty of Chelsea supporters couldn’t believe that Arsenal were willing to take Kai Havertz off their hands for $86 million (£63.5 million) in 2023 at a key stage in Mikel Arteta’s project.

The Blues registered a financial loss, but they were content to rid themselves of the German, who’d delivered the Blues one of the greatest moments in their modern history.

Still, not even the winning goal in a Champions League final can completely mask what was ultimately a very underwhelming career in West London, especially given the hype he had generated in Germany. Havertz scored 32 times in 139 Chelsea appearances, adding 16 assists.

15. Ayyoub Bouaddi—Lille to Man City ($115 million)

There’s much to like about Ayyoub Bouaddi.

An intelligent kid with the world at his feet, Bouaddi has taken on the job of replacing Rodri at Manchester City this season. Fortunately, he has two big-money arrivals alongside him to share the burden, and Enzo Maresca will have the chance to ease the young Moroccan into things.

The 18-year-old proved at the World Cup that no stage is too big, but it may take some time until we see the best of the composed young midfielder at the Etihad Stadium.

14. Mateus Fernandes—West Ham to Spurs ($112 million)

Mateus Fernandes may have suffered back-to-back relegations with Southampton and West Ham United, but his talent is there for all to see.

Fernandes can perform a myriad of midfield functions and has the potential to be a Portugal stalwart over the next decade. He’s a silky smooth operator who creatively evades pressure in the build-up phase, connects defense to attack, and can combine in and around the penalty area.

Fernandes combines slick in-possession traits with a fierce tenacity when the ball needs to be won back. He’s bound to emerge as the most impressive of Spurs’ lengthy 2026 summer transfer haul.

13. Jack Grealish—Aston Villa to Man City ($139 million)

Jack Grealish’s Manchester City career technically isn’t over, and there was an iteration of the former $139 million (£100 million) wide player that emerged at the start of Enzo Maresca’s tenure.

It’s easy to slander Grealish’s City career for how it’s faded. However, the role he played in their treble-winning season can’t be overlooked. Grealish played 50 times across all competitions and racked up almost 3,500 minutes of action.

He was never an output man, so his 16 goal contributions that season seem rather tame, but the Englishman nonetheless performed a specific job very well. Grealish retained possession in the final third and attracted opposition pressure to open spaces for others in and around the box.

His impressive apex rendered the rest all the more disappointing.

12. Paul Pogba—Juventus to Man Utd ($116 million)

Paul Pogba had it all, and the fanfare that greeted his Manchester United return in 2016 was unlike any other Premier League transfer.

The Frenchman produced some outstanding, otherworldly moments at Old Trafford, but it’s hard to escape the supposition that his second bite of the cherry up in Manchester wasn’t just one big false dawn.

As gifted as he was, Pogba never inspired a serious title charge and often flattered to deceive when it mattered most. His six years with the club were ultimately a dissapointment, albeit not a disaster. There was plenty of good in there, too.

11. Morgan Rogers—Aston Villa to Chelsea ($157 million)

It’s a value-for-money thing here.

Morgan Rogers is undoubtedly gifted and was worthy of a big move after notching 60 goal contributions in 129 appearances for Aston Villa over the past three seasons. However, he did set Chelsea back a club-record $157 million (£115 million). You’re demanding something or someone generational for that sort of price.

Still, the sharpshooting Englishman is set to enjoy life under Xabi Alonso at Chelsea and must be relishing the chance to team up with Cole Palmer again.

Together, they’re bound to make the Blues a fun watch, and few will care about the size of the transfer fee if Rogers helps catapult Chelsea back into a position where they’re competing for the Premier League title.

10. Hugo Ekitike—Eintracht Frankfurt to Liverpool ($106.1 million)

Liverpool’s 2025 summer transfer window looks like it’s destined for infamy, similar to Tottenham Hotspur’s 2014 summer after they sold Gareth Bale.

However, the most likely to emerge from the abyss as the Christian Eriksen-like ray of hope is Hugo Ekitike. Before an Achilles injury ended his dynamic debut season prematurely, the Frenchman offered a swagger to a Liverpool team that curiously lost its spark after lifting the title.

He’s an aesthetic, endearing forward who you simply can’t take your eyes off in full tilt. We can only hope he’s retained his explosive burst and impish creativity once he returns from his long-term layoff.

9. Elliot Anderson—Nottingham Forest to Man City ($155 million)

Like Rogers, we cannot say Elliot Anderson isn’t a very good player. However, there’s just no way he’d have cost $155 million (£114 million) this summer if, one, he wasn’t English, and two, he wasn’t being traded between Premier League clubs.

Anderson is an impressive all-rounder, but is he so uniquely talented that City should’ve paid the fourth-most expensive transfer fee in soccer history to get him? The jury’s out.

Much will depend on how Enzo Maresca profiles him in midfield.

8. Harry Maguire—Leicester to Man Utd ($108 million)

Manchester United sought their very own Virgil van Dijk in 2019, and for Harry Maguire, that’s where the problem started.

By becoming soccer’s most expensive defender ever, perfection was expected. Maguire was put under a microscope as very few had ever been before, with every lapse or misjudgment pounced upon.

Maguire has been through some mightily tough periods at Old Trafford, but it’s fair to say that his transfer overall, even if the price tag was excessive at the time, has been a success. At the time of writing, the 33-year-old has notched 273 appearances for the club and won a pair of domestic cups.

He was also club captain for three-and-a-half years.

7. Enzo Fernández—Benfica to Chelsea ($131 million)

Enzo Fernández had barely landed in Europe by the time Chelsea were willing to spend $131 million ( £97 million) on him in the winter of 2023.

Fernández had joined Benfica the previous summer, and an impressive World Cup campaign in Qatar with eventual champions Argentina convinced the Blues that he was an unmissable asset.

The midfielder arrived during a tumultuous and deeply unsuccessful period in Chelsea’s modern history, and it’s fair to say it wasn’t until Enzo Maresca arrived ahead of the 2024–25 season when Fernández started to show his value.

And Maresca had to convert him from a deep-lying controller into a box-crasher in order to do so. He scored 16 Premier League goals in his final two seasons at Stamford Bridge, yet few supporters were welling up when the Blues reached an agreement with Manchester City for his transfer this summer.

Fernández had wanted out for a little while.

6. Enzo Fernández—Chelsea to Man City ($168 million)

Fernández is hard to like, but he’s a good player; that can’t be denied. There are limitations to his game that mean he’s unlikely to ever excel as a disciplined midfield pivot player, but reduce his defensive responsibilities and the Argentine, somewhat of a luxury operator, can produce.

He’s an excellent passer boasting a great sense of timing, with his late arrivals into the box proving fruitful towards the back end of his Chelsea career.

Overall, Fernández didn’t do enough at Stamford Bridge to justify his huge price tag, and Man City have since ensured Chelsea made a profit on the 25-year-old.

However, the Argentine is back with the manager who oversaw his best work in West London, and he’s set to spend his peak years with the Cityzens.

5. Bradley Barcola—PSG to Liverpool ($166 million)

The Premier League has lost its star power in recent years, but Liverpool will believe they’ve acquired a ready-made gem in Bradley Barcola this summer.

Of course, the fee was huge, but Barcola’s CV means such a splash was at least justifiable.

The winger may not yet be the most efficient in front of goal, but he’s a constant threat. He wouldn’t have been counted upon by Luis Enrique otherwise, even if off the bench, in the biggest moments for a Paris Saint-Germain side that claimed back-to-back Champions League crowns.

Barcola is a dangerously exciting player who’ll get the Anfield faithful off their seats.

4. Joško Gvardiol—RB Leipzig to Man City ($104 million)

The second-most expensive defender of all-time, but Joško Gvardiol has masqueraded as a whole lot more during his Manchester City career.

In fact, rarely has he been utilized in the position that earned him his big move. Since joining the Cityzens in 2023, Gvardiol’s talent further upfield has been exploited.

He couldn’t stop scoring during City’s charge to Premier League glory in 2023–24, and Enzo Maresca is now deploying the Croatian international in an incredibly demanding role that highlights his brilliance in possession.

Gvardiol averages a goal contribution every five games for the Cityzens. Oh, and he can defend when he has to.

3. Moisés Caicedo—Brighton to Chelsea ($146 million)

If you forget the disastrous debut at the London Stadium, Moisés Caicedo has had an excellent Chelsea career. Okay, a few red cards have been thrown into the mix, too, but for the most part, the midfielder’s known not to cross the red line.

Caicedo is a snappy customer who does play on the edge. That’s what makes him brilliant.

The Ecuadorian has rarely earned respite since arriving in West London in 2023, with multiple managers counting upon Caicedo relentlessly. He’s Chelsea’s tone-setter, and his superb off-ball coverage shouldn’t undermine often classy play in possession.

He’s also stepped up as a leader and will play an imperative role for the new boss, Xabi Alonso.

2. Bruno Guimarães—Newcastle to Arsenal ($101 million)

Arsenal believe they’ve signed a sure thing in Bruno Guimarães this season.

The Brazilian was often a thorn in the Gunners’ side, all the way back to when they were beaten 2–0 by an upstart Newcastle United team in May 2022, which completely altered the top-four race and ensured Mikel Arteta’s side missed out on Champions League soccer.

It takes plenty to earn Arteta’s trust, and the two midfielders Arsenal signed in 2025 either never gained it, or lost it rather swiftly. Thus, they’ve pivoted to one of the Premier League’s best in Guimarães.

He’s a fierce competitor who’ll offer Arsenal an edge on big European nights. There are very few midfields he doesn’t get into, and the Gunners will feel as if they’ve snagged him for a reasonable price, given the context of the market.

1. Declan Rice—West Ham to Arsenal ($137.5 million)

As this list has proven, mammoth Premier League signings are rarely worth it. They’re all bluster. All bark, no bite.

However, few would argue that Declan Rice’s Arsenal switch hasn’t been a major success.

It took a couple of years for the Gunners to evolve into title winners after signing Rice from West Ham United in 2023, and the Englishman has been through it in North London. The indefatigable midfielder is always available and rarely does he underperform.

His legs are key to Arsenal’s suffocation, and he’s morphed from a high-octane box-to-box into an all-round midfielder who can dictate when called upon and contribute in the final third, too.

Rice has been one of the world’s finest midfielders throughout his Arsenal career. This is what a $100 million soccer player looks like.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ranking Every $100 Million Signing in Premier League History.

Premier League

Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe remains keen to try and lure Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane to Old Trafford. (Source: TEAMtalk)

But Kane is ready to end Man Utd’s hopes of a deal by signing a new contract with Bayern. A formal announcement may not be imminent but is expected to arrive before the end of the calendar year. (Source: Christian Falk)

Bayern are also keen to convince winger Michael Olise to sign a new contract in the face of interest from Liverpool, and they could even offer to include a release clause to sweeten the deal for the Frenchman. (Source: Christian Falk)

Martín Zubimendi is ready to request a transfer away from Arsenal next summer if he struggles for minutes in the Gunners’ crowded midfield. Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid have all been monitoring his situation. (Source: Fichajes)

Man Utd were keen to try strike a deal for midfielder Mamadou Sangaré this summer, but the player’s agent was one of many to snub the Red Devils in favor of a move to a lower-level club that can guarantee minutes. Brentford won the race for his signature instead. (Source: ESPN)

Both Liverpool and Man Utd held late talkes over a move for Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Mateus Mané late in the transfer window, but the Championship side stood firm and refused to sell. (Source: TEAMtalk)

Sources close to Manchester City claim Chelsea were only prepared to sell right back Malo Gusto in a player-plus-cash deal involving Nico O’Reilly—a narrative rejected by those on the Chelsea side. (Source: The Athletic)

Aston Villa, Man City and Newcastle United are all considering moves for Atlético Madrid winger Álex Baena. (Source: CaughtOffside)

Brighton & Hove Albion and Tottenham Hotspur have both made offers to Boca Juniors forward Leonel Flores, with the two Premier League sides ready to trigger his $15 million (£11 million) release clause in January. (Source: Football FanCast)

Chelsea have been offered the chance to sign free agent midfielder Yves Bissouma, formerly of Tottenham, after missing out on Monaco’s Lamine Camara on Deadline Day. (Source: The Sun)

La Liga

Paris Saint-Germain are ready to try and sign Atlético Madrid striker Julián Alvarez as soon as the January transfer window opens. (Source: El Nacional)

Aware they will not be able to land Alvarez, Barcelona have drawn up a three-man striker shortlist which includes Bournemouth’s Junior Kroupi, Inter’s Pio Esposito and Man Utd’s Benjamin Šeško. (Source: Fichajes)

Real Madrid striker Endrick has confided to close friends that he will leave the club in January if he struggles for minutes, with Roma his preferred destination. (Source: Corriere dello Sport)

Atlético Madrid and Barcelona are both ready to try and sign 14-year-old Arsenal sensation Bubacarr Jallow. The winger is being fast tracked through the Gunners’ academy setup to try and convince him to stay. (Source: Football Insider)

Racing Santander are looking to increase the release clause of 19-year-old left back Jorge Salinas following interest from Atlético, Barcelona and several other major sides across Europe. (Source: SPORT)

Real Madrid center back Joan Martínez, 19, turned down offers to leave the club this summer in favor of one final season with the club’s academy. A breakthrough into the first team is expected this season. (Source: AS)

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Transfer Rumors: Liverpool Consider Olise Move; Barcelona Ready Sesko Bid.

The Premier League’s traditional behemoths all flexed their financial muscles with gargantuan spends, while Spain’s Clásico rivals both made wholesale changes to their rosters as they duke it out for domestic glory.

There were massive amounts shelled out in Ligue 1, Serie A and the Bundesliga, too, but now the window has closed and the dust settled, which clubs have amassed the most valuable rosters?

With the help of Transfermarkt, here are the 10 most valuable squads in world soccer.

The World’s 10 Most Valuable Rosters

Rather unsurprisingly, it’s record European champions Real Madrid who lead the way with their band of superstar forwards. They boast a squad value of $1.7 billion, of which $581 million is attributed to their fabled trio of Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham.

There were some valuable additions to their roster over the summer, too, chiefly Yan Diomande and Marc Cucurella. The likes of Ibrahima Konaté, Denzel Dumfries and Bernardo Silva have only bolstered Los Blancos further.

Manchester City are only narrowly behind Madrid, with their squad valued at a staggering $1.66 billion. That total has been boosted by deals for Enzo Fernández, Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi over the summer—the midfield trio worth a combined $337 million, which is less than City spent on their signatures.

Back-to-back Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain are third as their squad, which is worth $1.58 billion, takes on greater value with each continental triumph. João Neves, Vitinha, Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are all worth $116 million or more.

Arsenal, as they were in last season’s Champions League final, are bested by PSG, but still rank an impressive fourth at $1.55 billion. Their ascent under Mikel Arteta has boosted the value of their existing stars, while the likes of Bruno Guimarães and Ezri Konsa have reinforced their position in the transfer market.

Barcelona might only be fifth, valued at $1.47 billion, but they do boast the most valuable player on the planet. Alongside Man City’s Erling Haaland, Lamine Yamal is worth $255.6 million all by himself, and that’s before one even considers Raphinha, Pedri, Pau Cubarsí and Co.

After years of relentless spending, Chelsea ($1.26 billion) are perched in sixth place. An expensively assembled squad has often failed to deliver on the pitch, but the individual value of their players is undeniable. Bayern Munich ($1.21 billion) are narrowly behind them, with Michael Olise their crown jewel with a value of $197.5 million.

The remainder of the top 10 is fleshed out by the Premier League’s traditional ‘Big Six’. Liverpool ($1.2 billion) are eighth and only just behind Bayern after signing Bradley Barcola late in the transfer window, while Manchester United sneak ($1.08 billion) in at ninth following their midfield overhaul.

Tottenham Hotspur ($941.6 million) were one of the summer’s major protagonists in the market, and their extravagant spending has pushed them into 10th.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as The 10 Most Valuable Squads in the World After Summer Transfer Window.

Dominated by Alan Shearer in the early 1990s, the award recognizes the player who scores the most goals over the course of a Premier League season—at first, players were contesting 42 games when the division had 22 teams, before a reduction to 20 reduced the number of matches down to 38.

Nine players are multiple winners of the award, but how good is your recent memory?

We challenge you to name the Golden Boot winners of the 2020s in one minute or less ... get cracking below and see how quickly you can get it done!

*Users unable to view the quiz should click here.

More Quizzes From SI FC

• Premier League Quiz: Name the 10 Most Expensive Summer Signings of 2026

• Champions League Quiz: Name Every Semifinalist Since 2000 in Under 10 Minutes

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Premier League Quiz: Name the Golden Boot Winners of the 2020s in One Minute.

Plenty we’re familiar with, given that the division is seemingly trading in-house more than ever before, but there are some exciting new additions to a league that could do with some sprucing up via star power.

Despite the widespread gluttony, discontent is also rife. Supporters, for the most part anyway, ruminate on the talent that slipped away, as opposed to the potential difference-makers they’ve attained, and unfortunately, they’re going to have to settle for what they’ve got until January rolls around.

Here’s what each Premier League team’s strongest starting lineup looks like after another historic summer transfer window.

Arsenal

The champions entered the season as the overwhelming favorites to retain their crown, primarily because of the instability or uncertainty that surrounded their most likely title rivals.

Opinion has since shifted somewhat, with Arsenal failing to add a star attacker to their ranks despite several attempts. Still, the Gunners’ defense remains stout, and Bruno Guimarães is a sure bet to excel alongside Declan Rice in midfield.

Plenty of responsibility rests on the shoulders of Bukayo Saka down the right, with Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyökeres sharing center forward duties. Leandro Trossard’s replacement, Christos Tzolis, has started the season brightly, but there’s a sense that Arsenal failed to turn the screw in the transfer window.

Aston Villa

Aston Villa ended the summer with the lowest net spend in the Premier League, yet the Villans still spent $350 million rebuilding their core.

The departures of Emiliano Martínez, Ezri Konsa, Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins means this is a new-look Villa team, and there’s bound to be a lengthy “jelling-in” process. Unai Emery at least has some exciting new tools to work with, including Swiss international Johan Manzambi and former Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson.

João Gomes’s nightmare debut at Brighton & Hove Albion should represent his nadir at Villa Park, and Emery desperately needs Gomes to come off in the absence of Tielemans and the injured Amadou Onana.

Defensively, Zion Suzuki will hold his own between the posts, but they look short across the back four.

Bournemouth

Bournemouth are one of the very few that seem satisfied with their summer’s work.

Crucially, the Cherries retained their most valuable assets. Approaches for Eli Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott were resisted, while Rayan will be hoping to build on a promising first few months on English shores.

The midfield is dynamic, well-balanced, and signing Benfica’s Antonio Silva to replace Marcos Senesi may prove to be one of the most astute pieces of business of the summer. Perhaps Juanlu will usurp veteran right back Adam Smith, too.

Brentford

No one is going to want to play against Keith Andrews’s Brentford this season. The Bees, playing one game a week, look primed to make a serious push for the European spots.

They drastically exceeded expectations last term, with Igor Thiago hunting Erling Haaland in the Golden Boot race and Mikkel Damsgaard rediscovering the form that saw him turn heads for Denmark at Euro 2020.

There’s pace out wide, idiosyncracies at full back and a potential midfield star in Mamadou Sangaré at Andrews’s disposal. The center backs are mountainous, too, and the addition of Caoimhín Kelleher last summer was an excellent one.

Brighton & Hove Albion

Only Hull City (15) and Ipswich Town (14) signed more players than Brighton & Hove Albion (10) in the summer window. The Seagulls, as they always do, scoured markets far and wide, but have also taken punts on prominent European talents.

Luka Vušković and Chema Andrés are two of the most exciting at their respective positions, with both likely to make immediate impacts on the south coast. There’s fierce competition in midfield, but the former Real Madrid academy graduate, who has drawn physical comparisons to Rodri, has all the makings of Pascal Groß’s midfield partner.

Kaoru Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh should reprise their starting roles out wide once they’re back from injury, while Jack Hinshelwood looks set to be a prominent figure from a No. 10 position.

Watch out for 19-year-old Charalampos Kostoulas, too.

Chelsea

Xabi Alonso switched between a back three and four in preseason, but has deemed the former the most suitable for the players he has at his disposal in West London.

Antonio Conte is the only manager in Premier League history to win the title with a three-man defense, and Chelsea’s purchase of Emiliano Martínez suggests the Blues are in the business of winning now.

There’s a healthier balance of old and young, and excitement is continuing to bubble around this Chelsea frontline. Enzo Fernández’s departure means Reece James simply has to stay fit, while Josh Acheampong has all the talent to emerge as an undroppable figure in Alonso’s defense.

Coventry City

The Championship winners weren’t quite as busy as their fellow newly promoted clubs, but Frank Lampard still has nine new players to work with. How swiftly they coalesce will likely decide if Coventry City’s long-awaited Premier League return lasts longer than just a single season.

They’ve added valuable experience at both ends of the pitch by signing Brentford’s Ethan Pinnock and Nottingham Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi. Goalkeeper Carl Rushworth was excellent in the second tier last season, but there are fears that midfield star Matt Grimes may not cut it at the highest level.

Midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi has garnered “next Michael Essien” shouts, and right back Milan van Ewijk has a long throw, which could be useful in this economy.

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace may not have signed the attacker they wanted on Deadline Day, but the Eagles at least added some depth across the pitch to aid their attempting assault on multiple fronts.

Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaïla Sarr still have huge roles to play despite their respective desires to move on, with the alternative options at Pierre Sage’s disposal screaming of Championship soccer.

Much hinges of Adam Wharton’s cultured left foot, as well as the hustle and bustle of Daichi Kamada alongside him. Axel Disasi is a shrewd signing in defense, and Dean Henderson, now donning the armband, may well have to pull off some heroics between the posts.

Everton

Striker depth is overrated and right backs have gone out of fashion, right?

Everton clearly saw Thierno Barry net a hat trick at second-tier Preston North End and now regards the young French forward as the answer to all their issues. Perhaps he can lead the line and cover the right side of the Toffees’ defense all at once.

Jack Grealish’s loan arrival on Deadline Day at least provides the Toffees with a spark, and Hayden Hackney is expected to slot seamlessly into the engine room. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall will also want to build on a productive debut season on Merseyside.

Fulham

There’s a Real Madrid tinge to this Fulham team, although César Palacios may take a little longer than striker Gonzalo García to find his feet on English shores.

García looks like a hit, and Josh King is primed to for a stellar sophomore year at Craven Cottage. The remnants of Marco Silva’s core are intact, but the risky managerial change has the Cottagers sweating over their top-flight prospects.

Oscar Bobb is the man tasked with mitigating Harry Wilson’s departure, and Emile Smith Rowe could find himself back in the spotlight if Palacios fails to hit the ground running.

Hull City

Hull City followed Sunderland’s lead from a year ago, completely reinventing its roster to best prepare it for Premier League life.

Owner Acun Ilıcalı has been as transparent as Erewhon’s hyper-oxygenated water regarding the Tigers’ transfer policy, and he‘s undoubtedly proud of his summer’s work.

Early promise suggests Hull, written off by so many in preseason, might have a fighting chance of survival. Veteran John Egan spearheads a defense that also contains the promising Nobel Mendy, while Oli McBurnie has the task of fighting off two new additions, Mohamed-Ali Cho and Ilyas Ansah, for the starting role in attack.

Ipswich Town

Ipswich Town snagged some sturdy Premier League performers in the window, but their most impressive piece of business was the addition of Bayer Leverkusen’s Exequiel Palacios. The Argentine will slot into Gary O’Neil’s midfield pivot, and aim to service an attack highlighted by Julio Enciso in a No. 10 role.

Emersonn scored on his Premier League debut, and is expected to lead the Tractor Boys’ frontline, while Abdul Fatawu is a bright wide player who supplies a semblance of unpredictability.

There are currently four first-team goalkeepers available to O’Neil, so the towering Kjell Scherpen has his work cut out if he’s to retain his place.

Leeds United

Leeds United had one of the better transfer windows, only subtly improving a roster that found its groove during the second half of last season.

James Trafford, Tarik Muharemović and Harry Wilson are all discernible upgrades at key positions.

Wilson will eat into Brenden Aaronson’s minutes and Muharemović has replaced Pascal Struijk, while Leeds have made Trafford the fifth-most expensive goalkeeper ever.

There‘s little change at wingback, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin will continue to lead Leeds’ attack after scoring 14 Premier League goals last season.

Liverpool

There’s still a Mohamed Salah-shaped void down Liverpool’s right-hand side, with the club signing two wingers this summer who prefer to operate from the left, including Bradley Barcola. Cody Gakpo’s retention means he may fill in down the opposite flank, but it seems like Andoni Iraola may go with the more natural Victor Muñoz in the short-term.

It’s unclear what Liverpool’s best midfield configuration is, and some have suggested that the best right back on the club’s books is Dominik Szoboszlai. Conor Bradley provides more stability than Jeremie Frimpong but isn’t fit, while concerns remain over Milos Kerkez.

Hugo Ekitiké has to find his way back into the team once he‘s recovered from an Achilles injury, so there’s pressure on Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz to enjoy resurgent sophomore seasons.

Manchester City

Manchester City have rapidly rebuilt under Enzo Maresca, and it’ll be fascinating to see how the boss sets up his array of shiny new toys, especially in midfield.

City have been notably fluid at the start of Maresca’s reign, and the manager has been keen to use at least one of his nominal defenders in midfield.

The fees paid for Enzo Fernández and Elliot Anderson means they simply have to play while Ayyoub Bouaddi learns the ropes. You fear somewhat for Phil Foden with Rayan Cherki around, as Maresca typically likes having wide players who stretch the pitch.

Manchester United

Manchester United are methodically rebuilding, spending slightly more modest fees and going position by position. It was the attack last summer, and the midfield’s turn this time around.

Carlos Baleba’s legs immediately render him important, with Youri Tielemans or Kobbie Mainoo likely his best partner. However, United now have a variety of midfield profiles on their books, allowing Michael Carrick to change the configuration depending on the fixture type and game state.

Benjamin Šeško has to lead the attack, with Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo supporting Bruno Fernandes. Patrick Dorgu will be useful down the left flank, too, as will Amad on the opposite side.

Newcastle United

Matthias Jaissle has rocked the Toon Army’s world.

Newcastle United were in some strife at one point this summer, but their work in the window must be commended. Their new manager has attacked the challenge head on, and Geordies are now looking forward to a world where a self-assured German is at the heart of it.

Goalkeeper Lukáš Horníček and right back Amar Dedić already look like astute signings, and Manchester City’s Nico González will go some way to filling their gaping midfield void. Yoane Wissa is primed for a bounce-back campaign, while William Osula will go head-to-head with new signing Matias Fernandez-Pardo for the starting role up top.

Nottingham Forest

Oliver Glasner must be thrilled to reunite with Daniel Muñoz at the City Ground, having converted the Colombian fullback into a potent attacking weapon at Crystal Palace.

With Muñoz parading down the right, Nottingham Forest’s team looks considerably more balanced going forward.

Morgan Gibbs-White will work off the shoulder of the bustling Chris Wood (Liam Delap may wait in the wings to begin with), while James McAtee is seemingly embarking on an Adam Wharton-like evolution in a deeper midfield role.

Ousmane Diomande is surely too talented to occupy the bench, but Nikola Milenković and Murillo must still be a part of Glasner’s plans.

Sunderland

Sunderland were quiet for much of the window, but sparked into life towards the end. Kevin Danso is a useful defensive addition, given his aerial prowess, and Malick Fofana offers the Black Cats extra depth in wide areas.

Brian Brobbey remains the fulcrum of Sunderland’s attack, despite Wilson Isidor’s bright start to the campaign, and Granit Xhaka is the key leader in midfield. Danso’s arrival could force Nordi Mukiele back out to right back, with Dan Ballard partnering the Tottenham Hotspur loanee.

Shot-stopper Robin Roefs was excellent between the posts last season, and has penned a contract extension at the Stadium of Light.

Tottenham Hotspur

It’s been a difficult start to the season for Tottenham Hotspur, but they will get better. They simply have to, given their summer outlay.

An argument could be made that their defense is weaker, with their best defenders, namely Cristian Romero, Kevin Danso and Djed Spence all leaving the club. In midfield, Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes should develop an excellent relationship, and things will look a lot slicker when a natural playmaker enters the fold from a No. 10 position.

Xavi Simons should be back at the start of 2027, and James Maddison will also have a big role to play is he shakes of his fitness issues post-ACL tear. Omar Marmoush’s best role is yet to be discerned, and Spurs will hope that Sávio and Mohammed Kudus both escape Spurs‘ all-encompassing injury bug.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as All 20 Premier League Clubs’ Best XI After $4.7 Billion Spending Spree.

The 20 clubs embarked on yet another record-spending splurge, yet dissatisfaction appears rife among fanbases. There’s lamentation over the one they couldn’t get, rather than widespread appreciation of those who have joined the club.

Players who moved late in the day are set to begin their “jelling-in” processes this weekend, and Matchday 3 is home to our first blockbuster duel of the campaign.

Liverpool kickstarted the weekend with a mature victory over Ipswich Town. Here’s how Sports Illustrated believes the remaining Premier League fixtures will pan out.

Newcastle United vs. Bournemouth Prediction

Prediction: Newcastle 2–2 Bournemouth

• Location: Newcastle, England
• Stadium: St James’ Park
• Date: Saturday, Sept. 5
• Kick-off Time: 12:30 p.m. BST / 7:30 a.m. ET / 4 a.m. PT
• Referee: Rob Jones

Newcastle United have gotten used to defeating Tottenham Hotspur over the years, so last week‘s 2–0 win on the road was nothing new for the Magpies.

However, they despise this fixture. Newcastle’s last victory over Bournemouth came back in 2020 when the Cherries were managed by Eddie Howe.

Iraola oversaw back-to-back victories at St. James‘ Park on their previous two Premier League visits to Tyneside, but Marco Rose is the man at the helm now. His side surrendered two points late on to Everton last weekend, having also conceded in the dying embers to ensure Enzo Maresca’s reign as Manchester City boss got off to a winning start.

While Matthias Jaissle‘s start has been impressive, Newcastle have faced more shots (44) than any other team through the opening two weeks.

Brentford vs. Sunderland Prediction

Prediction: Brentford 2–0 Sunderland

• Location: London, England
• Stadium: Gtech Community Stadium
• Date: Saturday, Sept. 5
• Kick-off Time: 3 p.m. BST / 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT
• Referee: Tom Bramall

A liberated Brentford side were stopped in their tracks by Leeds United last weekend, but a point at Elland Road was hardly a disaster for Keith Andrews’s Harlem Globetrotting Bees.

While Brentford will continue to lean upon their physicality and athleticism, they also look set to be one of the Premier League‘s most watchable outfits.

Visiting teams will suffer at the Gtech Community Stadium, and although Sunderland looked a little more like their 2025–26 selves at home to Fulham last weekend, the Black Cats are likely to succumb in West London this weekend.

Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Leeds United Prediction

Prediction: Brighton 1–1 Leeds

• Location: Brighton, England
• Stadium: Amex Stadium
• Date: Saturday, Sept. 5
• Kick-off Time: 3 p.m. BST / 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT
• Referee: Stuart Attwell

Brighton & Hove Albion felt the wrath of Chelsea’s purring attack last time out. Fabian Hürzeler could at least commend his side’s fight after falling 3–0 behind early, with 20-year-old Malick Yalcouyé enjoying a breakout game.

The Seagulls ran all over Aston Villa on Matchday 1, and are facing a Leeds United team that have never won at the Amex Stadium in 10 visits.

However, this iteration of the Whites may be a little different to those who have struggled down south previously. Daniel Farke’s men opened the season with back-to-back away wins at Nottingham Forest, and have so far looked like a team capable of making a serious push for Europe.

Fulham vs. Crystal Palace Prediction

Prediction: Fulham 0–0 Crystal Palace

• Location: London, England
• Stadium: Craven Cottage
• Date: Saturday, Sept. 5
• Kick-off Time: 3 p.m. BST / 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT
• Referee: Sam Barrott

Two teams without a point, and a pair you fear for this season.

Álvaro Arbeloa’s Real Madrid-tinged Fulham have the potential to look rather pretty this term, but a soft underbelly could undermine their efforts. Crystal Palace, meanwhile, failed to bring in Malick Fofana on Deadline Day and must ensure Ismaïla Sarr remains in South London until January at least.

The Eagles’ roster has at least deepened in time for the start of their Europa League campaign, and they’re in need of early points before the Thursday night excursions—considerably more challenging than last season’s midweek outings—begin to take their toll.

Manchester City vs. Coventry City Prediction

Prediction: Man City 4–0 Coventry

• Location: Manchester, England
• Stadium: Etihad Stadium
• Date: Saturday, Sept. 5
• Kick-off Time: 3 p.m. BST / 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT
• Referee: Paul Tierney

Coventry City supporters must‘ve expected that their Premier League season would truly get underway on Matchday 2, having been forced to open the campaign away at the champions on opening night.

However, a 1–0 home defeat to fellow newly promoted side Hull City means Frank Lampard’s side are already in some strife, and another daunting challenge beckons for last season’s Championship winners.

Manchester City have perhaps lost an aura point or two from their Pep Guardiola heyday, but they’ve rapidly rebuilt under Enzo Maresca this summer and have certainly got a roster that’s capable of challenging the Gunners.

This has the makings of a classic beatdown similar to the plenty overseen by Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium.

Nottingham Forest vs. Tottenham Hotspur Prediction

Prediction: Nottingham Forest 1–0 Tottenham

• Location: Nottingham, England
• Stadium: City Ground
• Date: Saturday, Sept. 5
• Kick-off Time: 3 p.m. BST / 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT
• Referee: Craig Pawson

Roberto De Zerbi could do with a result here.

Tottenham Hotspur’s huge summer splurge means so many are resentful, and few are likely to be willing on a Lilywhite resurgence under De Zerbi this term. So much has been spent, but patience is still required. There were at least some positive steps taken last week in the defeat to Newcastle.

Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, already look like an Oliver Glasner team. Saturday’s hosts have harshly attained just a point through two games; one they were good value for at Anfield last Saturday.

Forest head into this bout having won the last four meetings with Spurs.

Hull City vs. Aston Villa Prediction

Prediction: Hull 1–1 Aston Villa

• Location: Hull, England
• Stadium: MKM Stadium
• Date: Saturday, Sept. 5
• Kick-off Time: 5:30 p.m. BST / 12:30 p.m. ET / 10:30 a.m. PT
• Referee: Michael Oliver

Who’d have thought this, eh? Through two games, only Arsenal and Hull City (!) are yet to concede a goal. The Tigers have claimed maximum points, too.

Projected by the majority to potentially be one of the worst team’s in the competition’s history, Hull are already halfway beyond Derby County’s record-low points tally of 11 with 36 games to go. Perhaps Coventry are the team we should be worried about.

And Hull have got a good chance to go three from three.

While Aston Villa have retooled well enough this summer after losing the bulk of their core, Unai Emery has a serious job on his hands to ensure the Villans are competing towards the top of the Premier League table again this season. They failed to register a single shot on target in Monday night’s 1–0 defeat to the champions.

Everton vs. Manchester United Prediction

Prediction: Everton 1–2 Man Utd

• Location: Liverpool, England
• Stadium: Hill Dickinson Stadium
• Date: Sunday, Sept. 6
• Kick-off Time: 2 p.m. BST / 9 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT
• Referee: John Brooks

Manchester United responded to their opening weekend defeat at Hull by thumping Ipswich in their home opener.

Bruno Fernandes celebrated his PFA Players’ Player of the Year award by netting his second Premier League hat trick in the 5–2 victory at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils are back on the road this weekend, making the short trip across the North West to Merseyside, where the biggest losers of the summer window, Everton, await.

The Toffees have remarkably left themselves with one striker and one senior full back for the first half of the 2026–27 season. Fortunately, Thierno Barry has enjoyed a bright start to the campaign, but he’s currently carrying far too much on his shoulders.

Arsenal vs. Chelsea Prediction

Prediction: Arsenal 2–2 Chelsea

• Location: London, England
• Stadium: Emirates Stadium
• Date: Sunday, Sept. 6
• Kick-off Time: 4:30 p.m. BST / 11:30 a.m. ET / 8:30 a.m. PT
• Referee: Chris Kavanagh

It’s barely been competitive between these London rivals as of late. Chelsea have failed to win any of the previous nine meetings with Arsenal, and have lost their last four visits to the Emirates Stadium by an 11–2 aggregate score.

However, this is a Blues team now led by Xabi Alonso, and the Spaniard’s impact has been keenly felt at the start of his tenure. Chelsea’s defensive balance may be questionable, but their frontline is simply majestic and the thrust provided from their wing backs provides them with a USP.

Arsenal, suspected to coast to back-to-back titles, didn’t turn the screw in the transfer window, and have seemingly left the door ajar for potential usurpers. Chelsea seem like a prime contender, especially without European soccer to worry about.

The visitors can lay down a marker in hostile territory, while an impenetrable Gunners defense will aim to keep them at arm’s length.

Premier League Predictions: Gameweek 3

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Sports Illustrated Predicts Every Premier League Gameweek 3 Score.

Premier League

Estêvão is considering his future at Chelsea amid fears over his role under Xabi Alonso. While the young forward would prefer to stay at Stamford Bridge, he will consider an exit in January if he loses the battle for minutes against Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers. (Source: ESPN Brasil)

Another Chelsea winger, Pedro Neto, is also keen to stay and fight for his place at Chelsea. The Portugal international was aware of interest from across the Premier League, including Manchester City, during the summer but declined to pursue an exit. (Source: TEAMtalk)

Chelsea manager Alonso reached out to Kylian Mbappé for a review of Roma midfielder and France teammate Manu Koné during the summer, with the Real Madrid forward’s glowing verdict convincing the Blues to try strike a deal. (Source: Foot Mercato)

Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni was Manchester United’s priority midfield target, but concerns over the impact his salary demands would have on their existing wage structure left the Red Devils reluctant to pursue his signature. (Source: The Sun)

Man Utd were in active discussions with Man City over left back Rayan Aït-Nouri for the majority of Deadline Day, but the deal collapsed as the Red Devils only wanted a loan deal, likely with a view to trying to sign Lewis Hall of Newcastle United permanently in 2027. (Source: Ben Jacobs)

Liverpool have agreed a new contract with young winger Rio Ngumoha to fend off interest from Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. (Source: TEAMtalk)

Arsenal are planning to make a superstar addition to their forward line as early as January 2027, when Paris Saint-Germain duo Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will both be targeted. Bournemouth’s Junior Kroupi is seen as an alternative. (Source: Fichajes)

Everton have been offered the chance to sign free agent striker Anthony Martial after moves for Folarin Balogun and Joshua Zirkzee collapsed on Deadline Day. (Source: talkSPORT)

AC Milan center back Fikayo Tomori rejected moves to both Aston Villa and Fulham before manager Ruben Amorim ultimately decided against selling the defender. (Source: Gazzetta dello Sport)

Aston Villa and Newcastle will both return to try and sign Bayer Leverkusen striker Christian Kofane in January. (Source: Football Insider)

Meanwhile, both Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur are expected to pursue Jean-Philippe Mateta of Crystal Palace, believing the Frenchman’s expiring contract will make him a viable target as early as January. (Source: Football Insider)

La Liga

Real Madrid turned down an offer of $40.5 million (€35 million) for midfielder Eduardo Camavinga from Galatasaray in the late stages of the transfer window, believing it fell well short of their asking price. (Source: Fotomaç)

Hansi Flick is determined to see Barcelona offload left back Alejandro Balde, believing the youngster is a bad influence for star winger Lamine Yamal. (Source: El Nacional)

Barcelona have identified Inter left back Federico Dimarco as a potential target for next summer, when the Italian’s current contract is due to expire. Dimarco is interested in moving to Camp Nou. (Source: SPORT)

Real Madrid made the decision not to trigger a buy-back clause for midfielder Chema Andrés before his move from Stuttgart to Brighton & Hove Albion, sacrificing any control over the academy graduate’s future in the process. (Source: AS)

With the transfer window now closed, Barcelona are working to thrash out a new contract with young striker Hamza Abdelkarim, whose release clause of $17.4 million (€15 million) has left club officials worried. (Source: Juli Claramunt)

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Transfer Rumors: Arsenal Prepare Dembele Move; Man Utd’s New Tchouameni Stance.

Deadline Day was a fitting end to a frenetic transfer window somewhat disrupted by the 2026 World Cup. Enzo Fernández completed a blockbuster transfer to Manchester City, Gabriel Jesus was given a lifeline at Barcelona and Folarin Balogun’s failed move to Everton created a domino effect that robbed Chelsea of signing Lamine Camara as a replacement for the aforementioned Fernández.

Adding to the thrill were all the moves that didn’t get done. The likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal still have glaring holes that need addressing, while outcast players throughout England and Spain remain in need of escape routes.

The stage is set for an action-packed January transfer window, where this summer’s unresolved storylines will come back to the forefront.

Julián Alvarez

It was the saga of the summer. Julián Alvarez publicly pleaded for a transfer to fulfill his dream of joining Barcelona, but Atlético Madrid constantly roadblocked his plans, reminding the defending Spanish champions—and Alvarez himself—of a six-year contract and $581 million (€500 million) release clause.

Arsenal and even briefly Real Madrid emerged as potential escape routes for the Argentine, but he was hellbent on making Camp Nou his new home. In the end, Diego Simeone refused to let his star forward go to Barcelona, and the summer transfer window shut without a resolution.

Reports have already claimed Barcelona will try again for Alvarez’s signature in January, though it’s hard to imagine Atlético Madrid suddenly pulling a U-turn in just a few months time.

Should the situation become truly unbearable for Alvarez at the Metropolitano, he could revisit Arsenal’s interest in the winter. Mikel Arteta did not secure an attacking reinforcement on Deadline Day and would surely be keen on bringing the 26-year-old to north London.

Lamine Camara

Lamine Camara was already planning a new chapter of his career at Stamford Bridge when Monaco ripped up his transfer at the eleventh hour on Deadline Day. The midfielder was in line to become Fernández’s replacement at Chelsea before his club pulled the plug.

Xabi Alonso now has a major hole in his squad, one he will rush to fill as soon as the January transfer window opens. Camara is the obvious option for the Spaniard to go for, along with Roma midfielder Manu Koné.

The prospect of a winter transfer could be further complicated by Liverpool, though. Recent reports claim the Reds are keen on the 22-year-old and could move for him either in January or next summer as a replacement for Alexis Mac Allister.

It’s beginning to look like the Deadline Day drama was just the tip of the iceberg.

Endrick

Endrick made the decision to stay at Real Madrid this summer instead of going out on loan again despite interest from Lyon and Liverpool, among others. The Brazilian claimed the No. 9 shirt and was keen on proving himself to new boss José Mourinho.

Except the arrival of Carlos Espí and an untimely muscle injury once again throws Endrick’s future in doubt. In the time the striker has spent on the sidelines, Espí has taken his place in Mourinho’s squad, marking his Real Madrid debut with a last-minute winner against Espanyol.

If Endrick fails to break back into the team over the next few months, it’s highly likely the young forward will decide to leave in January for a second straight season. There’s value in the Brazil international developing his game at a different club as opposed to sitting on Real Madrid’s bench.

The biggest question will be where Endrick decides to go, if he does indeed leave the Bernabéu.

Cody Gakpo

As the summer transfer window neared its conclusion, it looked like Cody Gakpo was swapping his red shirt for a sky blue one. Manchester City bid $108.4 million (£80 million) for the Liverpool winger, but the Reds stunningly rejected the offer.

Andoni Iraola could not secure a replacement for Gakpo, seeing moves for Crystal Palace’s Ismaïla Sarr and Brighton & Hove Albion’s Yankuba Minteh amount to nothing. Liverpool could go for either option again in the winter, which would give Gapko the green light to leave.

Except City quickly pivoted and signed Iliman Ndiaye from Everton on Deadline Day. The club likely will no longer be interested in Gakpo come January. Tottenham Hotspur were also linked with the Dutchman this summer, but they instead welcomed Mykhailo Mudryk on loan on Sept. 1.

Should Gakpo, now battling for minutes with Bradley Barcola, still want out of Merseyside come January, he could be in for a rude awakening—or at least an unexpected suitor.

Alejandro Balde

Alejandro Balde finds himself in a rather precarious situation at Barcelona. The left back was publicly called out by manager Hansi Flick, who accused the player of “not [being] here 100%” at the start of the season.

The German boss then dropped Balde from his squad for Barcelona’s La Liga opener and then kept him on the bench against Athletic Club and Rayo Vallecano. All the while, transfer speculation swirled, with Manchester United emerging as a potential destination for the Spaniard.

But the Red Devils reportedly were only interested in a loan for Balde, while Barcelona wanted a permanent transfer. The move evaporated, keeping the 22-year-old in Catalonia until at least January.

Talks could potentially reignite between the two sides once the winter window opens considering United did not sign a left back this summer. Plus, Balde is unlikely to get much playing time, now third in Flick’s pecking order behind João Cancelo and Xavi Espart.

Joshua Zirkzee

Joshua Zirkzee’s time at United has been nothing short of a nightmare. The striker has scored just nine goals in 75 appearances and quickly became nothing more than depth option—if that—following the arrivals of Benjamin Šeško, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo in 2025.

It’s clear his time is largely up at Old Trafford, but a move never materialized this summer. Links to Juventus and Fiorentina never amounted to the real thing, and a last-ditch attempt from Everton on Deadline Day was reportedly rebuffed by United due to how little time was left on the window clock.

Now Zirkzee must wait until January to once again explore a move out of Manchester, where he is no doubt discontent with wasting away on the bench. The Dutchman has not even made his season debut yet, despite Šeško’s fitness woes.

It’s easy to imagine a move to Serie A once again becoming an option in the winter, or perhaps the Toffees will come knocking back on United’s door after they failed to sign Balogun on Deadline Day.

Folarin Balogun

Speaking of Balogun, it’s anyone’s guess whether the American striker remains at Monaco in January or reignites his original plans of a transfer. The former Arsenal man was inches away from a Premier League return when a failed medical at Everton changed the trajectory of his season.

The Toffees originally stepped away from the deal, but then came back to the table in the weaning hours of Deadline Day. It was Balogun, though, who opted against completing the move to Merseyside after how he was treated.

Now the 25-year-old is forced to make good with Monaco, unless they can sell to a still-open market, even after he planned on leaving following a strong World Cup campaign with the U.S. men’s national team. Even if things go smoothly, Balogun could still want to take the next step in his career and leave Ligue 1 to return to England should an offer come in during the winter window.

But it’s also plausible that his failed Everton move turned off some potential suitors.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Seven Transfer Sagas to Watch Ahead of 2027 January Window.

England’s top flight splashed an eye-watering $4.7 billion (£3.5 billion) on new recruits, with an array of blockbuster deals scattered across another ludicrously frenetic summer.

But despite their extravagance, each of the Premier League’s participants still suffered setbacks in the market, failing to close deals for some of their most coveted targets.

Here is one player each club failed to sign over the past few months.

Arsenal: Vinícius Júnior

Amid stuttering contract negotiations between Real Madrid and Vinícius Júnior, Arsenal were offered brief hope of a generational signing. The Premier League champions expressed their interest in the Brazilian superstar and provided an alternative to an extended stay at the Bernabéu.

Any transfer would have been seismic in scale and finances, but Vinícius Jr.’s decision to pen a contract extension in Spain’s capital completely extinguished Arsenal dreams.

In the end, the Gunners failed to sign an elite forward all summer after also missing out on Atlético Madrid’s Julián Alvarez, but new recruit Christos Tzolis has at least made a bright start to his career on Arsenal’s left wing.

Aston Villa: Rafael Leão

Aston Villa have been gutted across a bruising summer, losing Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Ezri Konsa, Ollie Watkins, Emiliano Martínez and Lucas Digne. They have, however, recruited some astute replacements, with hopes high for the likes of Johan Manzambi, Ibrahim Mbaye and Nicolas Jackson.

One player they were unable to sign during their enforced rebuild was Rafael Leão, with the wantaway winger eventually joining Galatasaray for $52.3 million (£38.7 million) from AC Milan. The Portugal international opted for Türkiye over England, with the longstanding interest of his new employers seemingly influential in his final decision.

Bournemouth: Joe Scally

Bournemouth were restrained in the transfer market compared to their fellow Premier League sides, only signing four players for new manager Marco Rose. A new right back was one of their priorities and their deal for Juanlu Sánchez from Sevilla ticked that box.

However, the Cherries had shown major interest in USMNT star Joe Scally prior to signing the Spaniard, with the versatile Borussia Mönchengladbach defender also reportedly among Fulham’s targets. In the end, he stayed put in Germany.

Brentford: Said El Mala

Brentford’s first setback of the transfer window came before it had actually opened. Early June provided the Bees with their first rejection as Said El Mala, one of Germany’s most exciting youngsters, pulled out of a move to west London.

A transfer fee of $58.1 million (£43 million) had been agreed between Brentford and Köln, but the 20-year-old opted against moving to the Gtech Community Stadium. Instead, he will continue his development in the Bundesliga for now amid links with Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool.

Brighton & Hove Albion: Lucas Bergvall

Lucas Bergvall appeared destined to leave Tottenham Hotspur for much of the summer amid their sizable midfield rebuild, but the deadline passed without the 20-year-old making a move elsewhere.

There was no shortage of interest, though, with Brighton & Hove Albion among those tracking the Sweden international. Despite negotiating with Spurs over the summer during deals involving Luka Vušković and Jan Paul van Hecke, the Seagulls were ultimately deterred by Bergvall’s $81.1 million (£60 million) valuation.

Chelsea: Lamine Camara

Chelsea, as expected, were once again protagonists in the transfer window, signing 11 players on permanent transfers. Their summer saw plenty of outgoings, too, with Andrey Santos, Marc Cucurella, Trevoh Chalobah and, in the final hours of the window, Enzo Fernández leaving.

The Blues frantically searched for Fernández’s successor at the eleventh hour, eventually deciding to act upon their long-held interest in Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara. The Senegal international appeared set for a late switch, but the Ligue 1 outfit blocked the transfer at the last minute.

Interest in Manu Koné was also expressed on Deadline Day, but Roma were unwilling to sanction an exit—much to Chelsea’s disappointment as they failed to draft a Fernández replacement.

Coventry City: Josh Acheampong

Frank Lampard is acutely aware of Josh Acheampong’s talents given his Chelsea connection and the Coventry City boss viewed the youngster as a perfect addition to his newly-promoted team on their Premier League return.

The 20-year-old, who can play at both right back and center half, would have been an excellent loan signing to bolster Coventry’s backline, but Chelsea view him as an important part of their current and future plans. Unsurprisingly, they refused to commit to a deal of any description.

Crystal Palace: Malick Fofana

Malick Fofana endured a busier Deadline Day than most. Reported interest from Arsenal thrust him into the last-gasp drama, before Sunderland agreed a deal with Lyon—who were desperate to raise funds—for his signature.

Crystal Palace then attempted to hijack the transfer after improving upon Sunderland’s offer, only for the Black Cats to match the proposed fee and agent demands.

Remarkably, the Belgian was unsure which club he was signing for when he conducted his medical in France, but it was Sunderland who eventually won the race for the exciting 21-year-old winger.

Everton: Folarin Balogun

Everton’s failed pursuit of Folarin Balogun is one of Deadline Day’s most astonishing tales—and it’s inextricably linked to Chelsea’s move for Camara.

Monaco only wanted to sell one of their coveted stars to the Premier League to help ease their financial concerns, and they decided to cancel Camara’s move to Stamford Bridge after agreeing a financially lucrative package for Balogun to join Everton.

The USMNT star traveled to Merseyside for his medical, but the Toffees spotted signs of an injury and decided to renegotiate a fee with Monaco. While this was occurring, a loan offer was also sent to Manchester United for Joshua Zirkzee.

After finalizing new terms with Monaco, Everton were then left stunned by Balogun’s decision to back out of the transfer. The striker was reportedly frustrated by the club’s pursuit of Zirkzee and jetted back to France.

Fulham: Matías Soulé

The pull of Álvaro Arbeloa facilitated three deals for Real Madrid youngsters over the summer, but Fulham’s new manager was not enough to convince Roma starlet Matías Soulé to move to Craven Cottage for a reported $47.4 million (£35 million).

Soulé, who was also wanted by Newcastle United, enjoyed an impressive 2025–26 under Gian Piero Gasperini, producing 14 goal involvements in 42 matches for the Italian giants. Another strong season is on the cards for the Argentine forward, but in Rome rather than London.

Hull City: Yeremay Hernández

Hull, much like Ipswich, have signed a plethora of players on their Premier League return, and club owner Acun Ilıcalı was eager to add Yeremay Hernández of Deportivo de A Coruña to a growing list of new recruits.

“We have to get the club side done and Yeremay also wants to come but it is a very vital, critical decision for himself,” Ilıcalı stated in August, but complications over a transfer fee meant the Spanish forward eluded the Tigers.

Ipswich Town: Tammy Abraham

Ipswich Town spent a staggering $286 million (£211.3 million) transforming their roster over the summer, desperately scrambling for proven Premier League talent capable of mounting a serious bid for survival.

In the closing hours of the window, that took them to Aston Villa striker Tammy Abraham, with Ipswich looking to benefit from uncertainty over his future amid Jackson’s arrival. However, the Englishman rejected a loan switch, deciding to stay and fight for a starting berth in the Midlands.

Leeds United: Andrei Rațiu

Leeds United were another side that conducted some clever business over the summer. Harry Wilson was signed on a free transfer, while Tarek Muharemović and James Trafford were other sensible deals.

Unfortunately for the Whites, they were unable to conduct a move for versatile Rayo Vallecano right back Andrei Rațiu, who was instrumental to the Spanish side reaching last season’s Conference League final. Leeds, along with Fulham and Nottingham Forest, were interested in the Romanian.

Liverpool: Yankuba Minteh

It’s been a summer of rejections for Liverpool in their pursuit of Mohamed Salah’s long-term successor. While Victor Muñoz and Bradley Barcola have been signed as new wingers, the club still lacks an orthodox right-sided forward.

They attempted to change that by targeting Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh, whose speed and Premier League experience appealed to the Reds. They submitted two bids for the currently injured winger, one even reaching $81.1 million (£60 million), but both were rejected.

Liverpool had previously held interest in Mbaye, but the youngster eventually joined Villa, while an offer for Crystal Palace forward Ismaïla Sarr was also rebuffed as the Merseysiders grew increasingly desperate.

Manchester City: Cody Gakpo

Pep Guardiola’s departure and Enzo Maresca’s arrival sparked significant change in Manchester City’s roster. Fernández, Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi were among those signed for massive fees, while the likes of Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders, John Stones and Bernardo Silva all left.

Sávio and Omar Marmoush were others to depart, both joining Tottenham, and a surprise name emerged as one of City’s ideal replacement signings: Cody Gakpo.

The Dutch winger was considered a prime candidate to cover multiple positions in Maresca’s squad, but City’s late push for his signature was ultimately unsuccessful. With Liverpool unable to source a proper replacement in time, they refused to sell the 27-year-old.

Manchester United: Lewis Hall

Manchester United completed the midfield rebuild they so desperately needed, but it’s somewhat surprising the club didn’t recruit a new left back. With Patrick Dorgu having been repurposed as a winger, Luke Shaw is the club’s only senior option in the role.

The Red Devils were well aware of the need for reinforcements and identified Newcastle’s Lewis Hall as the perfect long-term solution to their problem. The former Chelsea defender has enjoyed a promising ascent on Tyneside over recent years.

However, having lost so many players already over the summer, the Magpies categorically ruled out Hall’s departure, and United were unable to change their minds. Still, expect their interest in the defender to be revived at some point.

Newcastle United: Victor Muñoz

High-profile exits dominated the discourse around Newcastle. Former manager Eddie Howe departed alongside Bruno Guimarães, Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali, with the Magpies struggling to replace them with similarly starry names.

In their attempts to find Gordon’s heir, they turned to Muñoz after a promising season with Osasuna in La Liga. The deal was incredibly close, but Liverpool swooped in at the final second to close the transfer and steal him from under Newcastle’s nose.

Nottingham Forest: Trey Nyoni

Nottingham Forest were desperate to sign a young English midfielder late in the window. They first saw a sizable offer for Everton starlet Harrison Armstrong rejected, before pivoting to Liverpool’s Trey Nyoni as a viable alternative.

The Midlands side submitted a $40.6 million (£30 million) bid for the highly-rated 19-year-old, but, rather unsurprisingly, Liverpool turned down the approach. Considering his potential, a much higher offer would have been required.

Sunderland: Dodi Lukébakio

Sunderland splashed the least of all 20 Premier League clubs over the summer and their inability to secure a deal for Benfica winger Dodi Lukébakio contributed to their low spend. They approached the Belgian late in the window, but the Portuguese club refused to entertain a sale.

Lukébakio, who featured at the 2026 World Cup, would have added some depth for Sunderland in the wide areas, but at least they were able to clinch a deal for Fofana to offset any frustration.

Tottenham Hotspur: Iliman Ndiaye

Tottenham were unafraid of spending big after flirting with relegation last season. Early deals for Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Van Hecke were completed alongside a handful of free transfers, but there was still time for the additions of Sávio and Marmoush.

That, however, was seemingly not enough for the Lilywhites, who were determined to sign Iliman Ndiaye from Everton as the deadline approached. A deal appeared possible, with Richarlison heading in the other direction.

However, after being rebuffed by Liverpool in their move for Gakpo, Man City pursued Ndiaye, who prioritized the shorter move to Manchester.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as One Player Every Premier League Club Failed to Sign This Summer.

The 2026 summer window saw the biggest ever cumulative spend by the 20 clubs in the division, with over £3.5 billion ($4.7 billion) splashed out on new arrivals.

Manchester City were the top spenders, followed closely by Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, but they weren’t the only clubs to put their hands in their pocket time and time again.

With the window now shut, every team can concentrate on what’s happening on the field. But for us, it’s time to put your knowledge to the test by seeing whether or not you can name the 10 most expensive signings in just two minutes. Up for the challenge?

*Local currency used to reflect transaction amounts without fluctuating conversion rates.

More Quizzes From SI FC

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Premier League Quiz: In Two Minutes, Name the 10 Most Expensive Summer Signings of 2026.

Premier League clubs took center stage on Deadline Day, completing a dizzying amount of incoming and outgoing moves to bolster squads at the last second. Records were shattered, dreams were crushed and money was spent with reckless abandon.

Over in Spain, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid were all rather quiet after already making major moves—and rejecting even bigger ones—earlier in the summer.

Now that the dust has settled, there are clear successes and failures from the 2026 summer transfer window.

Winners

Enzo Fernández

£100m. Twice over. pic.twitter.com/MuPDAM6pAo

— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) September 1, 2026

Enzo Fernández played the long game this summer and it paid off. After getting publicly rejected by Real Madrid, the Argentine turned his attention to Manchester City, where he hoped to reunite with former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca.

The move looked dead when City did not submit a bid by Chelsea’s arbitrary Aug. 14 deadline. But things quickly unfolded on Deadline Day to the tune of $169 million (£125 million), making Fernández the first player to ever command two transfer fees over £100 million.

Just the transfer alone makes Fernández one of the biggest winners of the window, but Chelsea following through on the agreement even after their own deal for intended replacement Lamine Camara fell through makes it all the more special.

Fernández now gets to leave behind Chelsea, a team not competing in any European competition this season, to represent Manchester City, the favorites to challenge Arsenal for the English crown. And to top it all off, he’s back with Maresca.

Real Madrid

Real Madrid had a rather quiet Deadline Day, but that’s because they made all their big moves before the 2026–27 season kicked off. The club came into the summer with a list of problem positions and addressed every single one.

Los Blancos needed depth at right back? They signed Denzel Dumfries. José Mourinho doesn’t have a left back he can trust? He brings in World Cup winner Marc Cucurella. There’s a hole on the right wing? Here comes Yan Diomande. Real Madrid are thin at center back? Ibrahima Konaté makes the move on a free transfer.

Signing Rodri would have made it an incredible summer window for the 15-time European champions, but they had to settle for just Bernardo Silva. And so far, the contingent of new players have helped Mourinho’s return get off to a perfect start; Real Madrid have three wins in three games, scoring 10 goals and conceding just two along the way.

The club also locked down Vinícius Júnior to a six-year extension this summer, while also breaking its own revenue record from player sales this summer.

Anthony Gordon

Anthony Gordon went from Newcastle United purgatory to the defending Spanish champions Barcelona. The forward was staring down another season scrapping among the best of the best in the Premier League, without much hope for winning any silverware representing a ravaged Newcastle side.

Now, Gordon gets to play alongside some of the best players in the world. Lamine Yamal, Rodri, Pedri and Raphinha are his new teammates, and Hansi Flick is his new manager.

Champions League soccer is on his match calendar, and he has an incredibly high chance of at least hoisting one trophy with Barcelona. After all, the Catalans have won back-to-back La Liga and Spanish Super Cup titles, as well as the 204–25 Copa del Rey in the last two seasons.

Plus, with Raphinha playing as the team’s No. 9, Gordon gets free reign of the left wing—and he already has three assists in as many appearances.

Chelsea

Chelsea losing out on Camara at the eleventh hour of Deadline Day cast a gloomy shadow over their summer transfer window. But by all other accounts, the Blues walked away from a major squad overhaul on the right side.

They won the transfer race for Morgan Rogers, finally addressed their goalkeeping problems by signing Emiliano Martínez and brought in a solid center back in Maxence Lacroix. They also welcomed the reigning Serie A Defender of the Year, Marco Palestra, from Atalanta.

Just as impressive as Chelsea’s incomings where their outgoings. The club raked in $169 million (£125 million) from Fernández’s move alone and banked a combined $157.3 million (£116.8 million) just from Cucurella and Nicolas Jackson’s exits.

In total, the west London outfit bid farewell to 26 players through either permanent transfers or loan deals. The likes of Alejandro Garnacho, Mykhailo Mudryk and Liam Delap were finally sent on their way to give Xabi Alonso a new-look team he can mold, without having to worry about a slew of players who were never going to cut it at Stamford Bridge.

Losers

Julián Alvarez

Just over two months ago, Julián Alvarez made a public plea to leave Atlético Madrid during the 2026 World Cup. A transfer saga for the ages soon kicked off, with Los Rojiblancos refusing to let the Argentine winger join rivals Barcelona through a series of viral social media posts.

Atlético Madrid CEO Miguel Ángel Gil Marín stoked the flames with interview after interview, blocking any move to the defending Spanish champions while also going toe to toe with Barcelona president Joan Laporta.

Arsenal even tried to step in and give Alvarez an escape route out of the Spanish capital, but the 26-year-old was very clear in his desires: Barcelona or nothing.

In the end, he got nothing. Now, he’s stuck at Atlético Madrid after tearing apart relationships with Diego Simeone, the club’s hierarchy and fans.

Liverpool

Before the summer transfer window even opened, Liverpool knew they were losing Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson, and Konaté soon followed the two out of Merseyside. Work needed to be done to both replace the three club pillars and address mounting concerns on either flank.

What did Liverpool do? They signed two left wingers in Bradley Barcola and Víctor Muñoz, leaving a gaping hole where Salah used to command the right wing.

The Reds also finally signed 21-year-old center back Jérémy Jacquet, who they acquired during the January transfer window. Liverpool’s other defensive reinforcement came in the shape of the inconsistent and injury-prone Ronald Araújo.

Even after failing to win their two opening games of the 2026–27 season in which their fullback problems were on full display, the 20-time English champions only opted to sign Genk goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans on Deadline Day ... and the teenager is not even coming to Anfield until next summer.

Barcola is a major get no doubt, but he cannot solve the deep rooted issues plaguing Andoni Iraola’s squad.

Joshua Zirkzee

For a short moment on Deadline Day, Joshua Zirkzee thought he finally had a ticket out of Old Trafford. The striker was briefly linked with Everton amid Tuesday’s chaotic Folarin Balogun transfer saga, but Manchester United reportedly shut down the move.

The Red Devils were never going to sanction a last-minute move for Zirkzee when they did not have a replacement lined up; they would have been left with just Benjamin Šeško as their only natural, senior center forward.

For Zirkzee, who reportedly rebuffed interest from Fiorentina, it must have felt like a cruel joke to suddenly have an intriguing offer so swiftly rejected by United. The No. 9 is firmly on the fringes at Old Trafford and is lucky to log any minutes in a red shirt, let alone consistent ones.

After all, Šeško is still dealing with fitness woes and Michael Carrick did not even offer Zirkzee a single minute in the club’s opening two Premier League fixtures.

Instead of a fresh start on Merseyside, Zirkzee is stuck sitting on United’s bench.

Tottenham Hotspur

For a while, Tottenham Hotspur were looking like the winners of the summer transfer window. The club splashed some staggering cash to welcome Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes to Roberto De Zerbi’s midfield.

Spurs also signed Jan Paul van Hecke, as well as free agents Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi. Let’s not forget welcoming Sávio and Omar Marmoush from Manchester City, the latter on loan until next summer, bringing the club’s total spend to $413.8 million.

Yet they lost their two opening matches of the Premier League season by an aggregate score of 5–0. Tottenham’s response? Let’s sign Mudryk, who hasn’t played a competitive fixture in over 20 months since being hit with a doping suspension.

Spending all the money in the world cannot make a bunch of random players—no matter their skill—play as a cohesive unit. There’s plenty of time for De Zerbi to figure things out, but as of now, Spurs’ transfer window is beginning to look a lot like Liverpool’s last summer.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as The Winners and Losers of 2026 Summer Transfer Window.

Premier League

After failing to sign Newcastle United left back Lewis Hall this summer, Manchester United fully intend to circle back in 2027 to snag the Englishman’s signature. (Source: TEAMtalk)

It is all part of the Red Devils’ plan to revamp their defense next summer. The rebuild could cost in excess of $674 million (£500 million). (Source: The Telegraph)

Newcastle, though, are still determined to hold onto Hall and are willing to offer the 21-year-old a massive new contract to keep him at St James’ Park and out of United’s clutches. (Source: TEAMtalk)

Chelsea were left scrambling after their failed Lamine Camara transfer. The club was linked with free agent midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum to give Xabi Alonso some additional depth in the middle of the park, but the Blues will not sign the former Liverpool man this summer. (Source: Fabrizio Romano)

Speaking of Camara, Liverpool instructed the midfielder and Monaco to wait and not go through with the move to Stamford Bridge. The Reds are seemingly keen on making a move for the Senegal international next summer. (Source: Ben Jacobs)

After Arsenal failed to capture Atlético Madrid forward Julián Alvarez, assistant manager Gabriel Heinze tried to convince Inter striker Lautaro Martínez to join the defending English champions. (Source: Daily Mail)

Despite interest from both United and Chelsea, Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly never had any desire to leave north London. The 19-year-old always intended to fight for minutes at his boyhood club no matter what offer came around. (Source: The Athletic)

Wantaway Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison has agreed personal terms with Turkish side Trabzonspor. The Brazilian is keen on playing with Mohamed Salah, but is worried Spurs will come in the way of the move. (Source: Daily Mail)

Everton rejected a last-minute push from Chelsea to sign midfielder James Garner. The Blues were willing to shell out $87.6 million (£65 million) for the 25-year-old, but Everton would not entertain such an offer so late on Deadline Day. (Source: talkSPORT)

Olympiacos have reached an agreement for the permanent transfer of Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey. The 29-year-old is set to sign a contract with the Greek side through 2029. (Source: Fabrizio Romano)

United striker Chido Obi is headed to Dutch side Willem II on a season-long loan. The desire is for the teenager to get regular minutes and develop his game. (Source: The Athletic)

La Liga

Barcelona are not giving up on signing Atlético Madrid forward Julián Alvarez. The Catalans are preparing to reignite their pursuit in January. (Source: El Nacional)

They will not have an easy time snagging Alvarez’s signature. Atlético Madrid warned Barcelona the price tag for the Argentine is $567.8 million (€490 million). (Source: Mundo Deportivo)

José Mourinho’s favorite midfield option this summer was Enzo Fernández despite Real Madrid’s public denial. (Source: The Athletic)

Atlético Madrid midfielder Pablo Barrios is being targeted by Chelsea as Xabi Alonso’s dream Enzo Fernández replacement. The Blues are prepared to make a formal $115.9 million (€100 million) offer in the winter transfer window. (Source: Fichajes)

Athletic Club defender Aymeric Laporte was keen on joining Barcelona this summer and club president Joan Laporta was onboard. The Catalans began exploring a potential deal, but in the end Athletic Club did not want to sell the Spaniard. (Source: The Athletic)

Real Madrid center back Raúl Asencio was already on thin ice at the club and just barely avoided a transfer this summer due to an injury. But after recently being convicted for driving under the influence of alcohol, his place at the Bernabéu is more uncertain than ever. (Source: Fichajes)

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Transfer Rumors: Liverpool’s Camara Sabotage; Barcelona Make January Alvarez Vow.

The 20 clubs in England’s top-flight all looked to bolster their squads for 2026–27 in pursuit of glory. For some, that means challenging Arsenal for the Premier League title. For others, that means doing enough to qualify for European soccer next season or avoid relegation.

In total, the Premier League’s spending came in around $4.4 billion (£3.3 billion) this summer, a new league record. Blockbuster deals like Morgan Rogers’s Chelsea transfer, Bradley Barcola’s Liverpool move and Manchester City’s acquisitions of Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernández led the way.

Arsenal also signed Bruno Guimarães while Manchester United completed a midfield overhaul with Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans. Tottenham, meanwhile, added Chelsea duo Mykhailo Mudryk and Tosin Adarabioyo to an already new-look squad on Deadline Day.

True judgement on the moves will come as the season progresses, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little bit of fun with some predictions. With the transfer window now closed, here’s what the Opta supercomputer projects the final Premier League table to look like come May.

Supercomputer Predicts 2026–27 Premier League Title Race

Arsenal remain Opta’s favorites to win the Premier League title. The Gunners have started the season off with two wins against Coventry City and Aston Villa, keeping two clean sheets along the way. Mikel Arteta’s side is as formidable as ever and given a whopping 47.40% chance of going back-to-back.

One of the biggest winners of the summer transfer window, Manchester City are projected to finish second for the second season in a row. Enzo Maresca’s men are given the best odds—27.22%—to steal the English crown from Arsenal, but are predicted to come up five points short.

Chelsea and Liverpool are next in the supercomputer’s table in third and fourth respectively, each with around a 5% chance of winning the league. The Blues might feel a bit miffed considering they have six points to their name while the Reds have only managed two draws. But as of now, the two will have to settle for Champions League qualification as opposed to silverware.

Rounding out the top five are Manchester United. The Red Devils came into the season with high hopes, but were quickly brought down to earth after a shock defeat to Hull City. Michael Carrick’s men bounced back against Ipswich Town at the weekend, but a lack of activity in the final days of the window did them little favors. The supercomputer only sees the club raking in 57 points in 2026–27.

Supercomputer Predicts 2026–27 Champions League Race

Much like the last two seasons, the Premier League is predicted to have its top five teams qualify for the Champions League after recent European successes. The supercomputer unsurprisingly gave those spots to five of the league’s ‘Big Six.’

Chelsea will be the most excited of the top clubs to secure a place in Europe’s premier club competition considering their 10th place finish in 2025–26 robbed the Blues of even competing in the Conference League this season.

On the brink are Man Utd. The Red Devils have a 27.81% chance of keeping their place in the Champions League next season as they face tough competition from Newcastle United, who are projected to finish just one point behind the 20-time English champions.

Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford, predicted to finish seventh and eighth respectively by Opta, are not out of the running, but they would have to put together sensational campaigns to crack the top five. The Seagulls are given the better chance (18.11%) of doing so despite the Bees and Everton getting off to better starts.

The surprise addition in the top 10 are Aston Villa. Unai Emery’s men have zero points to their name after opening defeats to Brighton and Arsenal in which they failed to score a single goal. It’s looking like an uphill battle for the reigning Europa League winners to get back in a UEFA competition next season; their predicted 51 points will simply not be enough.

Supercomputer Predicts 2026–27 Premier League Relegation Battle

Five Premier League teams have zero points after two matches—and four of those are unsurprisingly in the bottom half of Opta’s predicted table. Tottenham lead the way in 14th, given a 23.83% chance of relegation after defeats to Brentford and Newcastle. It’s a better position than six other teams, but it’s still too close to the drop zone for comfort after last season’s last-minute escape.

Despite not having a win to their name, Nottingham Forest sit above Sunderland and Ipswich Town. The three teams are all projected to finish in the 45-point range. Perhaps the supercomputer simply has more faith in Olivier Glasner on the touchline than Régis Le Bris and Gary O’Neil.

Opta sees the real danger lying elsewhere. Crystal Palace are given 29.55% odds of playing in the Championship next season. The Eagles were handedly defeated by Everton in their opener and then thrashed by Manchester City.

Palace can get their campaign on track this weekend against fellow winless side Fulham. The Cottagers suffered close loses to Chelsea and Sunderland to kick off the Álvaro Arbeloa era and now sit as one of two teams with over 30% odds of being relegated come May.

The other club is Coventry City. What comes up typically comes down between the Championship and the Premier League—and Frank Lampard’s side is predicted to be the next newly promoted team to drop back to the second tier after one failed season in the top-flight.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Supercomputer Predicts Premier League Table After Summer Transfer Window Closes.

The Argentinian’s future had been the subject of intense speculation all summer long, and things finally came to head as the summer window drew to close. City made their move, convincing Chelsea to part ways with their wantaway midfielder, and he was joined in the new arrivals suite by Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye. ($87.7 million / £65 million).

There was also significant movement at Aston Villa and Newcsastle United, shifting the Premier League’s transfer spend to previously never seen before levels of $4.75 billion (£3.5 billion). In 2025, around $4.1 billion (£3.1 billion) was spent on new signings, showing just how powerful the biggest league in the world is.

But which club spent the most? Here are the total outlays of every Premier League club this summer.

Premier League Transfers: The Clubs Who Spent the Most Money

*Transfer totals per Transfermarkt.com | Last updated: Sept. 2 at 6:00 a.m. ET. Fees converted at the prevailing rate.

Manchester City’s Enzo Maresca-led rebuild totaled over $600 million when it was all said and done. Fernández and Ndiaye were joined by the equally expensive Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi, while a late window deal was also thrashed out for emerging talent Allan.

Chelsea have been no strangers to heavy spending since BlueCo took the reins and their miserable 2025–26 season means yet another expensive spree has hardly come as a surprise. The Blues were the Premier League’s second biggest spenders, with their expenditure reaching $470 million. Their most significant coup was Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, who joined for a club record $159.6 million. Chelsea are one of 11 Premier League clubs to break their transfer record this summer.

A Daniel Levy-less Tottenham Hotspur acted ruthlessly (or recklessly, depending on who you ask) to rejuvenate their defense and midfield. They broken their transfer record twice, signing Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali for a combined $252 million, and also spent big in attack.

Ipswich Town followed Sunderland’s transfer strategy from a year ago and were the eighth-biggest spenders. Their $255.3 million outlay surpassed the $221 million the Black Cats spent last year, which helped them thrive on their top flight return and unexpectedly qualify for Europe.

Sunderland’s summer has been much quieter this time around, and they finished the window as the division’s lowest spenders, despite signing Malick Fofana from Lyon on Deadline Day. Crystal Palace and Bournemouth were the other two teams to spend less than $100 million.

Manchester United completed their midfield rebuild with the additions of Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba from Premier League sides, making them the ninth-highest spenders. Liverpool rose to sixth after their costly acquisition of Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain, while champions Arsenal were seventh with a $262 million outlay—midfielder Bruno Guimarães their most expensive new arrival.

Newcastle United and Aston Villa were both gutted by the Premier League and Europe’s elite, forcing them into rather drastic rebuilds. They finished as the fourth and fifth-biggest spenders, respectively.

• Premier League Done Deals: Every 2026–27 Summer Transfer

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Premier League Transfers: Total Money Spent by Clubs in 2026 Summer Window .

England’s top flight undoubtedly looks different after a window of unmatched spending extravagance, but oddly familiar at the same time. Although teams have spent more money on transfers than ever before—upward of $4.75 billion—many of those fees have been paid to their domestic rivals.

Never before has there been such a focus of trades directly between Premier League clubs. Even after a summer which saw the World Cup unearth talents from every corner of the planet, England’s clubs took the approach of sticking to what they know.

Now that silence has finally descended upon this dizzying game of musical chairs, here is where everyone has ended up sitting.

Arsenal

Arsenal were supposed to be signing players from a position of ultimate strength this summer. Yet, even marquee arrival Bruno Guimarães, who completed a £75 million ($101 million) move from Newcastle United, is a deal which could feasibly been struck without the heft of Arsenal’s newfound status as Premier League champions.

The Gunners were efficient if not extravagant elsewhere in the window. Christos Tzolis’s cut-price arrival from Club Brugge as a well-rested Leandro Trossard replacement could prove to be the bargain of the summer. Piero Hincapié and Ezri Konsa have strengthened the defense, while goalkeeper Illan Meslier joins as a free agent.

However, the blockbuster move of a Vinícius Júnior or a Julián Alvarez never came to fruition.

In

Out

Aston Villa

In

Out

Bournemouth

In

Out

Brentford

In

Out

Brighton & Hove Albion

In

Out

Chelsea

Chelsea once again smashed their club transfer record by signing Morgan Rogers for a truly eye-watering sum, although they made that back and more with the protracted exit for Enzo Fernández. By the end of Tuesday evening, however, Chelsea were somehow left to rue a player they (for once) didn’t sign after missing out on multiple options for Fernández’s replacement.

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Coventry City

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Crystal Palace

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Everton

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Fulham

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Hull City

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Ipswich Town

In

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Leeds United

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Liverpool

Bradley Barcola is here. pic.twitter.com/xIdexpzoU4

— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) August 31, 2026

Liverpool have allowed some big names to depart on free transfers, with Ibrahima Konaté, Andy Robertson and, most crucially, Mohamed Salah all leaving Anfield. In better news for the Reds, up-and-coming center back Jérémy Jacquet has finally signed for the club after a January agreement with Rennes, while young winger Víctor Muñoz was also acquired. Ronald Araújo joined on loan to replace Konaté in the short-term.

After a lengthy saga, the Reds struck an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain for Bradley Barcola, with the French winger becoming the club’s second-most expensive signing.

In

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Manchester City

£100m. Twice over. pic.twitter.com/MuPDAM6pAo

— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) September 1, 2026

Finally, Enzo Fernández arrived at Manchester City. It only took the joint-most expensive transfer fee in Premier League history.

Elliot Anderson became the fourth-most expensive transfer of all-time by joining Manchester City off the back of an incredible ascent at Nottingham Forest. Enzo Maresca’s first addition as Pep Guardiola’s successor is a huge one, with youngsters such as Ayyoub Bouaddi, Jeremy Monga, Pierce Charles and Mathys Detourbet also joining the club.

Going the other way, Rodri is a seismic loss at the base of midfield, while James Trafford, Nico González, Tijjani Reijnders, Sàvio, Omar Marmoush and Nathan Aké have also found new homes.

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Manchester United