A round-up of the latest Premier League transfer rumours this weekend
The latest batch of Premier League results brought the dramatics as Ange Postecoglou was sacked by Nottingham Forest.
After just 39 days in charge, the former Celtic and Tottenham Hotspur man was shown the door 19 minutes after a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea at the City Ground.
Postecoglou failed to win any of his eight games in charge of Forest, meaning they have slipped into the Premier League relegation zone with just five points on the board. The full focus is now on hiring his replacement and turning their dismal start to the season around.
Clubs are also starting to consider their business approach for the January transfer window, so we’ve taken a look at some of the latest stories on the rumour mill.
Man United fall behind Crystal Palace in pursuit of ‘historic’ transfer target
Manchester United are considering several new recruits for 2026 as they desperately look to avoid a repeat of the last two Premier League seasons. After finishing eighth in the 2023/24 season, last term was significantly worse as a torrid 15th-place finish welcomed them.
United are among the clubs interested in bringing the younger Bellingham back to England, but their pursuit has lagged behind the efforts of Premier League rivals Crystal Palace.
“Jobe Bellingham’s situation is very interesting. Manchester United’s interest is historical. I think Crystal Palace actually are a bit more active,” reporter Ben Jacobs revealed to The United Stand.
“He’s maybe agitating a bit more to get a chance mid-season in some capacity and we have to understand how Dortmund react to that. He may be a surprise name available in some capacity.”
The 3AM Verdict: United struggled for creativity last season, scoring the second fewest goals out of any non-relegated team through the campaign. They have had a mixed bag of results so far this term as well and are looking to inject some extra creativity into the team. Unfortunately for United, while they remain a huge and historic club, their recent poor seasons have diluted their lure, while rivals have increased theirs. Crystal Palace especially is an exciting project to be part of right now and the Red Devils will need to work hard at getting deals over the line while in competition with others.
Liverpool quoted another record transfer fee for midfield target
After breaking their personal transfer record twice over the summer and setting a new British record, Liverpool would be expected to smash that figure once again if they want to get their hands on Wharton, according to Keith Wyness.
“I think you’re looking at about a £150m type player for Palace. I think there’s no doubt he’s the right age. He’s definitely going to be an England star. I think he’ll feature pretty heavily in the World Cup in America next year,” the former Everton chief told Football Insider.
“Wharton is a talent, and I think that’s the sort of money that Palace could be looking for. There’s a lot of interest; there will be an auction for him, I’m sure. Palace will not want to lose him, and they will not want to let him go for a lower price. So I think they’ll get the right money.”
The 3AM Verdict: Wharton is certainly an impressive player but with other areas of concern to address, would it be the smartest move to splash another record amount of money on a midfielder? Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai are both impressing this season, while Alexis Mac Allister is another reliable figure. You would expect one of these regular starters to be benched in order to make way for a bank-breaking signing. Liverpool are keen on bringing in a new centre-back and a winger, so it doesn’t seem - right now at least - that it makes sense to fork out mammoth money on another midfielder when that area is arguably the least problematic in the squad.
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