The latest transfers, gossip and rumours as deadline day begins to pull into view
Gyokeres 'did well' as Arsenal grind out Old Trafford win
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Arsenal are reportedly in the market for another new striker after a major injury blow to Kai Havertz.
The transfer market is hotting up with one forward in the centre of the market, Alexander Isak, changing the tone of his saga late on Tuesday night with an explosive statement. He accused Newcastle United of “broken promises” and “lost trust” with Liverpool still strongly linked with a move for the Swedish striker.
The Reds’ offer of £110m fell well short of Newcastle’s valuation with the deadline for the transfer window now fast approaching, but the player has three more years on his contract, retaining some leverage for Eddie Howe’s side.
The Premier League champions are still linked with Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, too, with the England defender a year away from becoming a free agent, though the FA Cup holders have stood firm on a valuation, despite the difficult situation.
Eberechi Eze’s potential move to Tottenham Hotspur also dominates the closing stretch of the window, though the deal is edging closer with Palace negotiating a suitable payment structure in a deal worth more than £55m.
Manchester United continue to endure frustration with their goalkeeper situation, and could rival Manchester City for Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Follow all the latesttransfer news, gossip, rumours and done deals in The Independent’s live blog below:
Transfer news live
Newcastle respond to explosive Isak statement
Liverpool set deadline over Isak pursuit
Tottenham edge closer to Eberechi Eze deal with Crystal Palace – but key obstacle remains
Spurs also line up Savinho alternative
Wrexham close in on £8m deal for Man City starlet
Kai Havertz out with knee injury could force Arsenal into buying a new striker
1 minute ago
Kai Havertz out with knee injury
Arsenal’s Kai Havertz faces a spell on the sidelines after picking up a knee injury reports David Ornstein.
The striker missed Arsenal’s open training session on Wednesday morning and is undergoing assessments to determine the extent of the injury.
With the transfer window still open, Arsenal have time to strengthen their attack in the absence of Havertz.
Viktor Gyokeres and Leandro Trossard are the only attackers available as Havertz and Gabriel Jesus are both injured.
Kai Havertz looks set to be unavailable for a while
Kai Havertz looks set to be unavailable for a while (PA Wire)
Mike Jones20 August 2025 12:36
14 minutes ago
Thi is perhaps a slightly surprising development – Galatasaray are pushing to sign Manuel Akanji.
Akanji has become an integral part of Manchester City’s defence, intelligent and versatile in what he offers across the back line. But Pep Guardiola is open to the move as he bids to reduce the City squad before the deadline, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Negotiations underway but no agreements in place yet.
Manuel Akanji could be on his way out of City
Manuel Akanji could be on his way out of City (Getty Images)
Lawrence Ostlere20 August 2025 12:24
32 minutes ago
Fofana deletes Chelsea references from social media amid transfer speculation
File this one under ‘the way of the modern world’, for better or worse... A lot of people are getting very excited because Wesley Fofana has deleted all references to Chelsea from his Instagram account.
Fofana has struggled at Stamford Bridge since his £75m move from Leicester three years ago mainly due to injuries and was only on the bench for Chelsea’s Premier League opener against Crystal Palace despite the absence of Levi Colwill – with youngster Josh Acheampong and Trevoh Chalobah preferred at centre-back.
He has now sparked further rumours of a departure from the Blues by removing all mention of the club from his Instagram, in a similar move to the one employed by wantaway stars Alexander Isak (Newcastle) and Yoane Wissa (Brentford) this summer.
Luke Baker20 August 2025 12:06
43 minutes ago
Man United want Sevilla star
Carlos Baleba from Brighton may still be Ruben Amorim’s preferred midfield general at Manchester United but Sevilla’s Lucien Agoume is being lined up as an alternative.
According to Spanish outlet Orgullobiri, Sevilla are asking for around £25m for the former France Under-21 star, which is less than the £35m release clause in his contract.
The 23-year-old joined Sevilla in January 2024 after struggling at Inter Milan and was a regular as they narrowly escaped LaLiga relegation last season before impressing at the European Under-21 Championships this summer.
Other Premier League sides are also said to be interested in Agoume, although Arsenal’s previous interest is likely to have cooled after the signing of Martin Zubimendi.
Lucien Agoume (right) scored for Sevilla against Athletic Bilbao at the weekend
Lucien Agoume (right) scored for Sevilla against Athletic Bilbao at the weekend
Luke Baker20 August 2025 11:55
58 minutes ago
Dibling an option for Palace as Eze replacement
We reported earlier that Crystal Palace have identified Leicester star Bilal El Khannouss as a replacement for Eberechi Eze should he complete his £60m move to Tottenham but the Eagles are also looking at other options.
One of those is Southampton midfielder Tyler Dibling, according to talkSPORT.
Dibling has attracted plenty of Premier League interest since Southampton’s relegation to the Championship, with Everton having three bids turned down earlier in the window.
The 19-year-old would be a more expensive option than El Khannouss, with the Saints valuing him at £45m+, but Palace are long-term admirers after having a bid rejected for him back in January.
Tyler Dibling is interesting Crystal Palace
Tyler Dibling is interesting Crystal Palace (REUTERS)
Luke Baker20 August 2025 11:40
1 hour ago
Kiwior in talks to exit Arsenal
Some Arsenal transfer news, with defender Jakub Kiwior in talks with Porto after a move to the Portuguese club.
The 25-year-old Pole is seemingly surplus to requirements at the Emirates after the arrival of Christian Mosquera this summer and the proposed deal is a loan with an obligation to buy.
According to Sky Sports News, the total package would be more than £23m, including the loan fee, which would represent a decent return for the Gunners who paid around £20m for Kiwior in 2023.
Jakub Kiwior played the final 12 games of last season for Arsenal after Gabriel’s injury but wasn’t in the squad for the clash with Manchester United on the opening weekend of this campaign
Jakub Kiwior played the final 12 games of last season for Arsenal after Gabriel’s injury but wasn’t in the squad for the clash with Manchester United on the opening weekend of this campaign
Luke Baker20 August 2025 11:25
1 hour ago
DONE DEAL! Bailey leaves Villa
Leon Bailey has left Aston Villa for a season-long loan with Roma.
Villa confirmed that attacker Bailey has moved to the Serie A side, who have an option to permanently sign him for£19m.
The 28-year-old joined Villa for £25m from Bayer Leverkusen back in 2021 and scored 22 goals for the club in 144 appearances. His best season was 2023-24 when he netted 14 times in 52 games in all competitions.
Luke Baker20 August 2025 11:11
1 hour ago
The Fifa rule that hands Isak transfer leverage over Newcastle
The ugly Alexander Isak transfer saga continues to drag on, with a now public back and forth between the striker and Newcastle United, as he tries to force through a move to Liverpool.
But there is a little-known Fifa rule on transfers which could play into Isak’s hands and provide him some leverage in the dispute.
Read more:
Lawrence Ostlere20 August 2025 10:56
1 hour ago
Leverkusen hijack Dortmund's Echeverri deal
An interesting saga in the Bundesliga, where Dortmund appeared to have sewn up a loan deal for Manchester City wonderkid Claudio Echeverri, only for Leverkusen to step in at the last moment and whisk him away.
Echeverri was signed by City two years ago but returned to boyhood club River Plate on loan and continued to thrive in Argentina, by all accounts.
He has made a few appearances for City – in the FA Cup final, the Premier League and the Club World Cup, scoring in the latter, but Pep Guardiola now wants the 19-year-old to earn some game time elsewhere, and there are few better places than the Bundesliga to learn your trade.
Lawrence Ostlere20 August 2025 10:41
2 hours ago
El Khannouss a key part of Eze's Spurs transfer
A key domino in this summer’s transfer window is Bilal El Khannouss. The 21-year-old won a bunch of young player awards in Belgium before moving to Leicester City, and did well last season in the Premier League despite the club’s relegation.
Now Crystal Palace have identified El Khannouss as a replacement for Eberechi Eze, and they have “made contact” with Leicester, reports the Athletic. If the Moroccan midfielder moves, that would pave the way for Eberechi Eze to depart Selhurst Park for Tottenham in a deal worth around £60m.
Bilal El Khannouss is wanted by Crystal Palace
Bilal El Khannouss is wanted by Crystal Palace (Getty Images)
Lawrence Ostlere20 August 2025 10:27
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