The transfer window is in full swing and it looks like this summer’s edition is going to be the biggest and most exciting for quite some time! Liverpool adding Wirtz to add to their acquisition of Frimpong (and most likely Kerkez), Liam Delap joining Chelsea, and both Manchester clubs making statement signings has only served to further whet our appetites for what magicians Speakman and Louis-Dreyfus can pull out of their hats.
Each Tuesday (ed’s note - or a Wednesday if we’re running a bit late! Sorry Bomber…) between now and the end of August, I’ll be looking at the latest gossip and trying to sort the wheat from the chaff and looking at who is truly in the know, and whose only scoop they’re getting is for their dog dirt.
Another nine new names linked with moves to the Stadium of Light this week, taking the total now to 38 rumoured names, and one signing.
Incomings
To start with, a little update on one of the most strongly linked with moves to SR1.
Vladyslav Vanat is by all accounts the closest player to being our next signing through the door. His name has appeared in some way pretty much every other day, with latest reports suggesting Kyiv are holding out for €25m, despite there apparently being a release clause in his contract of €20m. This could be one that actually gets done!
Two very familiar names top the list of new entrants this week! Sports Illustrated have tentatively credited interest from Sunderland in signing Victor Lindelof following his release from Manchester United. Whilst highly experienced at the top level both domestically and internationally, the 30-year old doesn't necessarily meet the age profile of the pond we fish in these days.
The same article also links Premier League winner, Golden Boot winner, and former England international Jamie Vardy as a transfer target from Leicester. Vardy is thought to be very keen on staying in the Premier League, and has pretty much all-but-ruled-out a move within the Championship as he will not line up against Leicester.
Leicester City FC v Ipswich Town FC - Premier League Could a 38 year old Vardy help fire Sunderland to Premier League survival?
Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
Sportsboom.com are exclusively reporting that Sunderland are looking to sign “Chris Rigg 2.0” - namely West Brom’s young startlet Isaac Price. The 21-year old Northern Irish international has played 18 times for his country and scored 6 goals, while the second half of last season saw him make 15 appearances for the Baggies, after turning out 22 times for Standard Liege during the first half.
The young midfielder fits the bill for the type of player we’d be interested in, having a lot of experience for someone still only 21, and a fellow compatriot of Trai Hume and Dan Ballard. However, having only signed him in January for £2.5m, he still has four years left on his contract and the midlands club are unlikely to allow him to leave for less than 4 or 5 times that.
West Bromwich Albion FC v Hull City AFC - Sky Bet Championship Photo by Adam Fradgley/West Bromwich Albion FC via Getty Images
Nantes centre forward Matthis Abline has ourselves, Burnley and Brentford all chasing him this summer. Marseille are also interested, and according to L’equipe have tabled a €12.7m bid, which has been laughed off be Nantes - who are rumoured to not even contemplate anything under €42.5m. Those valuations could put all potential suiters off, however in an interview this week, Abline responded to the reports by saying, “I don’t really know how to react. He has his opinion, so there you go. For now, I am with the U21s and I am feeling good. In terms of my personal situation, we’ll see later.” - which might suggest a move is not as out-of-reach as we think!
Another young prospect, currently on international duty with the French U21s, he scored 9 Ligue 1 goals last season, including an equaliser in a 1-1 draw away at PSG!
France - Poland UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2025 Group Stage Photo by Andrzej Iwanczuk/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Staying on the continent, ontheminute.com are reporting an exclusive that both Sunderland and Nottingham Forest are the English half of four teams (Lazio and Roma being the others) willing to meet the €8m valuation for highly-rated (but never heard of) Georgian centre-back Saba Goglichidze (easy for you to say!). Aged just 20, but with 33 Serie A appearances to his name last season, he stood out for Empoli despite their campaign ending in relegation.
It remains to be seen whether he would be an improvement on what we already have in that position, with him seemingly fitting into the strong and powerful category, rather than the pace that we are currently lacking.
Empoli v SS Lazio - Serie A Saba Goglichidze of Empoli looks on during the Serie match between Empoli and Lazio
Photo by Image Photo Agency/Getty Images
Off to Scandinavia next, where a number of Danish outlets are reporting that we are to pay Brondby’s €6m asking price on Danish U21 midfielder Clement Bischoff. The young midfielder has been impressing at the U21 Euros, which has alerted a number of Premier League clubs including Sunderland, Brighton and Wolves. The Telegraph have additionally reported that we have sent scouts out to specifically keep tabs on the 19-year old, watching him with a stunning goal and assist in their match against the French U21s.
Denmark v France - UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2025 Quarter-Final Photo by Boris Streubel - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
Rounding off the continental rumours are alleged targets Habib Keita and Moussa Baradji, of Clermont Foot (Ligue 2) and Yverdon Sports (Swiss Super League). Both are youthful midfielders, with Keita being dubbed the “next Enzo Le Fee” by AfricaFoot, and FootballFancast citing Baradji an energetic, tough-tackling, defensive midfielder.
And we finish this week a little closer to home, with a move credited to the incoming Director of Football Florent Ghisolfi. He’s not a day on the job yet, but Corriere Della Sport via SportWitness are reporting that Ghisolfi is already thumbing through his contacts book and is looking to tie up a deal for West Ham’s experienced Moroccan centre back Nayef Aguerd.
The new DoF at the Stadium of Light was leading Juventus in an attempt to bring him to Roma, but now hopes to do that deal for Sunderland, although any potential fee is not mentioned.
Outgoings
Two new additions to the outgoings list this week, and they’ll likely be confirmed by the time I write net week’s Transfer Tuesday.
Milan Aleksic is rumoured to be spending the upcoming season on loan back in his home country, with Partizan Belgrade hoping to take him before their European qualifying campaign starts at the end of the month, according to Serbian news outlet Telegraf-rs. Le Bris is a big fan of Aleksic and doesn’t want him to leave the club permanently, but doesn't see him as being ready for the Premier League this season - something I completely agree with. There is definitely a player there, and a season playing week-in-week out (and hopefully in UEFA competition too) could be the help he needs to be ready to be a key player for us, regardless of what division we are in for the 2026/27 season.
St Etienne are growing closer to landing Pierre Ekwah after their manager made it clear that they would try and exercise the “option to buy” part of the loan that saw him impress there last year, despite being relegated.
envertetcontretous.fr have spoken with manager Erik Horneland, who this week confirmed they would do what they can to keep hold of Ekwah, although with their relegation it could be difficult to fully meet the €6m transfer fee that was built into his loan agreement.
I did like Ekwah as a player, and some part of me feels his style is better suited to the Premier League than the Championship, but as a club I think we’ve moved on from him now.
The biggest outgoing transfer story this week is the rumour that Thomas Frank is very interested in bringing former Spurs academy graduate Dennis Cirkin back to North London!
Spurs had inserted a buy-back clause of just £6m when they sold him to us in 2011, but that option is thought to have expired in 2024. That said, Cirkin is in the final year of his contract this season, so could be at a bit of a crossroads in terms of what to do next in his career.
Cirkin has featured well over 100 times for us and been part of two promotion wins, but may be tempted with a return to Tottenham should our terms not be favourable for a contract extension.
In other outgoing news, Lazio are now the 10th (yes TENTH!) club in the race to sign Chris Rigg.
The fee we are willing to consider is still allegedly £35m, and even the England U-19 international’s withdrawal from this summers tournament through injury doesn’t appear to have put off potential suitors.
Summary of all players linked with moves in/out
Rumoured Incoming Signings
Jordan Henderson Ajax
Jayden Danns Liverpool (loan)
Amad Diallo Manchester United
Chris Mepham Bournemouth
Cedric Kipre Reims
Matthew Burns Coleraine
Kwame Poku Peterborough
Vladyslav Vanat Dynamo Kyiv
Wilfred Singo Monaco
Luis Malagon Club America
Harry Toffolo Free Agent
Mobido Sagnan Mont
Keita Kusogi Djurgardens
Joe Gomez Liverpool
Christiantus Uche Getafe
Charlie Gray Manchester City
Alex Moreno Aston Villa
Japhet Tanganga Millwall
Tommy Doyle Wolves
Duje Caleta-Car Lyon
Sam Greenwood Leeds United
Charlie Cresswell Toulouse
Cameron Carter-Vickers Celtic
Sam Johnstone Wolves
Ishe Samuels-Smith Chelsea
Armand Lauriente Sassuolo
Lennon Miller Motherwell
Habib Diarra Strasbourg
Reinildo Atletico Madrid
Victor Lindelhof Free Agent
Jamie Vardy Leicester City
Isaac Price West Brom
Matthis Abline Nantes
Saba Goglichidze Empoli
Clement Bischoff Brondby
Nayef Aguerd West Ham
Moussa Baradja Yverdon Sport (Switzerland)
Habib Keita Clermont Foot (France)
Actual Incoming Signings
Enzo Le Fee Roma - £20m
Rumoured Outgoings
Elizer Mayenda West Ham
Dan Neil Roma, West Ham
Romain Mundle PSV Eindhoven, Nice
Chris Rigg Manchester United, West Ham, Liverpool, RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen, Crystal Palace, Arsenal, Everton, Brighton, Lazio
Nectar Triantis Hibernian, MLS clubs (undisclosed),
Trai Hume Everton, Wolves
Dan Cameron Undisclosed League 2 (Loan)
Dennis Cirkin Tottenham
Pierre Ekwah Saint Etienne
Milan Aleksic Partizan Belgrade (Loan)
Actual Outgoings
Jobe Bellingham Borussia Dortmund - £31m
If you come across any transfer rumours online via articles or social media, include your source in the comments and we’ll take a look at them before adding them to next week’s “Transfer Tuesday”.