When Manchester City decided to sell 21-year-old bit-part player Cole Palmer to Chelsea for 42.5m in September 2023, after his 19 Premier League appearances for the club had produced no goals, they may have initially felt that they'd got the better of the deal. Two years later, Palmer struck his 38th Premier League goal for Chelsea this September, on only his 72nd appearance, and he has now become key for both club and country.
Aston Villa's slow start to the season has seen them record just two wins from their opening seven Premier League games, and has inevitably shone the spotlight on the club's summer transfer dealings. Unai Emery's side made eight permanent signings this summer, including 26 million striker Evann Guessand from Nice, while also adding loan pair Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho. Villa also used the loan market back in the January transfer window, when they landed Marcus Rashford, Axel Disasi and Marco Asensio for the second half of the 2024/25 campaign, but were unable to bring any of that trio back to the West Midlands in the summer.
Real Madrid are reportedly stepping up their pursuit of Enzo Fernandez, with the Spanish giants ready to test Chelsea's resolve over one of their most prized midfielders. According to Football Insider, the 24-year-old Argentina international is now a priority target for Xabi Alonso's side as they continue their long-term midfield rebuild. Any potential deal is expected to depend on the player's willingness to move, but an offer exceeding 100 million could be enough to tempt Chelsea into negotiations.
It was a second half that summed up Liverpool's season. For a spell, it looked as if Gareth Taylor's side was on course for the unlikeliest of Anfield victories against the manager's former club, Manchester City. For an even longer period, it seemed like Liverpool's defensive doggedness might earn them a precious point to kick-start their stuttering season.
Leicester have made a promising start back in the Championship, although they currently sit outside of the automatic promotion places. Marto Cifuentes' side will be keen to finish inside the top two, and to do this, they may seek to strengthen in January. However, it will not be straightforward to do so, given their PSR restrictions. They did recoup big money from the sales of Mads Hermansen, Kasey McAteer and James Justin among others.
As per Football Insider, Pete O'Rourke has confirmed that West Ham are interested in Zirkzee, and they could make a move for him when the transfer window re-opens in January. If there is a green light for Zirkzee to leave Man United in January, I'm sure a lot of clubs will be in for him. Obviously the player himself is frustrated at his lack of opportunities this season and he could push for a move away in January if those minutes don't improve.
The Blues have a wealth of options in the defensive set-up, but they could be looking to sign a new defender, with Enzo Maresca likely to sell Axel Disasi. Bayern Munich battle Chelsea for Murillo? The Brazilian joined Forest in the summer of 2023 and has soon established himself as a key player for the Premier League side. He has made 80 appearances for Forest in all competitions, and has made four starts in the 2025-26 campaign already.
I didn't close the door to move to Saudi because of the World Cup that was never on my mind. I just wanted to stay at the club, and the club wanted me to stay. That's all.
Bayern II are in a real crisis at the moment. After winning 3 games in a row at the start of the season, the U-23s have won just one of their last 7 games (none in four) and are currently struggling in midtable. After a transfer offensive in the summer that clearly prioritized signing older players for immediate success, this season has to be viewed as a genuine disaster thus far.
Man United could use Affengruber Manchester United could certainly use more quality and depth in the defensive unit, and the 24-year-old would be a useful acquisition. According to Fichajes, Elche have now set their asking price for the defender. They will demand 25 million for him. It is a reasonable price to pay for a player of his quality, and it will be interesting to see if Manchester United are ready to pay up.
Across Europe, I don't really see anybody that has come in and integrated so well, made such an impact, Keown said. The goals he scored (against Nottingham Forest), the header, but he makes everything tick. He came on at the weekend (against West Ham) and it was seamless when he came on. (Martin) Odegaard going off would have been an absolute disaster last season, but not this season.
The Blues had been monitoring Guehi's situation closely, given his background at the Cobham Academy and his impending contract expiry at Crystal Palace next summer. However, with the England international now tipped for a move to Liverpool or Real Madrid, Chelsea have shifted their focus toward Murillo, a player who has been on their radar since the summer. Under the management of Enzo Maresca, Chelsea continue to reshape their squad as they aim to build a Premier League title winning team.
As per Le10 Sport (via Sport Witness), Marseille sporting director Mehdi Benatia has revealed that Marseille manager Roberto De Zerbi, formerly of Brighton, pushed very hard to sign Aguerd from West Ham. It's not just because of me that he's here. The truth is the coach wanted him! In the United States, when the coach saw him, he said, Stop everything, I want Nayef Aguerd'.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen wants more playing time For a 33-year-old who wants to head into next summer's World Cup sharp and match-fit, lack of guaranteed minutes is a clear motivator to explore options elsewhere. The three English clubs linked with ter Stegen present contrasting but convincing cases. Man United have just introduced Senne Lammens, who kept a clean sheet on his debut in the 2-0 win over Sunderland, suggesting the club have an eye to the future.
Liverpool are preparing to make a historic move in the transfer market as they line up a £150 million bid for Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise. According to Fichajes.Net, the Reds have placed the Frenchman at the top of their list as they prepare for life without Mohamed Salah, whose Anfield future remains in question beyond the summer of 2026.
Manchester City have been credited with an interest in a young Real Madrid star, with the two clubs said to have been discussing potential player swaps. There has been tension between the two European giants in recent years, never more so than when Los Blancos swerved the 2024 Ballon d'Or ceremony when they learned that Rodri had pipped Vinicius Jr to the award. But they may soon be putting their differences aside to pull off one, or potentially more, spectacular deals.
Maguire, who joined Man United back in 2019, had a difficult start to life following his 80m move from Leicester, but in recent years, he has been a very dependable performer. However, he is losing prominence under Ruben Amorim, who has preferred to count on the likes of Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro and Luke Shaw. And given that Maguire has less than a year remaining on his current contract, there is every chance that he leaves Man United in 2026.
Mohammed Kudus is quickly becoming Tottenham Hotspur's most influential player. Since joining the club for 55m from West Ham this summer, the Ghana international has been a bright spark in Tottenham's midfield. Now, having provided four Premier League assists, he finally has a goal of his own after scoring the winner in a 2-1 victory over Leeds at Elland Road.
West Ham United are looking to improve the attacking unit with the signing of Baris Alper Yilmaz. The 25-year-old has been linked with a move away from Galatasaray and it will be interesting to see if the London club can get the deal done. They have been told to pay 50 million for the player (h/t SportWitness). It will be interesting to see if they are willing to pay that kind of money for him.
Manchester City and Manchester United have enquired about Aleksandar Pavlović through intermediaries. City's interest, in particular, is very concrete as he's seen there as a perfect Rodri successor. There's been no contact with Bayern, but with the player's camp. For Pavlović, however, a move away from Munich is currently not an option. While it seems unlikely that Pavlović would already be contemplating an exit, both Manchester teams can afford to pay a hefty transfer fee and offer a big salary bump for the Germany international,
Reported Celtic target Louis Munteanu's asking price has been significantly reduced, it has been claimed, while Dundee head coach Steven Pressley is already planning January signings. Cluj would now accept less than 4.5m for 23-year-old striker Louis Munteanu, for whom Celtic reportedly had a 6.9m bid rejected in the summer before the Romanian club claimed a 17m transfer to Ajax or Valencia fell through, according to FCSB owner George Becali.
