Cody Gakpo is set to leave Liverpool and join Manchester City in a shock move between two Premier League giants. It comes after Liverpool agreed a deal in principle until 2031 for top target Bradley Barcola, who will command a £100m fee, with £20m in add-ons, with Paris Saint-Germain after the French club lowered their demands for the forward. The Reds also want to sign Ismaila Sarr from Crystal Palace after moving on from Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh.
Atletico Madrid have given Julian Alvarez a deadline of Sunday to decide his future after he missed his third consecutive day of training and will be absent from their squad to face Sevilla this weekend.
The club have made clear to him that he will have to choose between staying in Madrid or considering a move to Arsenal, after Atletico’s chief executive said the Argentina star will “never, ever” be sold to Barcelona, but did not rule out the possibility of him joining another club instead before the transfer deadline. The 26-year-old forward is Arsenal’s top target and the Gunners continue to monitor the situation ahead of potentially making a late move.
Manchester City remain in talks to sign Enzo Fernandez while Chelsea have agreed a £7.5m deal to sign Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, following a costly couple of errors from Robert Sanchez in Monday’s 3-2 win at Fulham. Chelsea could turn back to Bournemouth’s Alex Scott if they sell Fernandez, who was left out of Xabi Alonso’s squad to face Luton in the Carabao Cup on Thursday night.
Follow all of the latest news, rumours and done deals below:
Bradley Barcola set for big-money move to Liverpool as deal agreed
Liverpool will pay an initial £106m for the France winger, which could rise to £123m, including add-ons, and he is expected to sign a five-year deal at Anfield.
They had reached an outline agreement with Paris Saint-Germain earlier this week after a breakthrough in negotiations.
Fernandez to City? Alvarez to Arsenal? Ten big transfers that could still happen before deadline day
The summer transfer window closes on 1 September, with clubs across Europe facing a busy few days as they battle to wrap up their summer business now that the 2026/27 season has started.
But while some teams will feel their business is already done, most clubs – especially some in the Premier League – know they need more arrivals if they’re to compete this season.
Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United are known to be looking at making last-minute additions, while teams including Chelsea and Arsenal are hoping to make late additions in the coming days depending on outgoings.
So, with just a few days left of the window, here are 10 big transfers that could still happen before deadline day.
Man Utd continue search for a left-back
Manchester United will go into the final days of the window still on the search for a left-back, with Alejandro Balde, Lewis Hall and Jorge Salinas all linked to he club.
Any potential deal for Hall looks impossible now due to costs and Newcastle’s desire to keep the youngster.
As for Balde, he was left out of Barcelona’s opening squad after manager Hansi Flick told him to gather his thoughts around his future. It has since been reported that the Spaniard would prefer to stay at the Camp Nou, but the young left-back is United’s primary target to bolster their defence and Barca are thought to be open to serious bids. A fee of around £40m has been mooted for the 22-year-old, should United decide to step up their interest, though Fabrizio Romano has previously suggested the deal is “too expensive” forUnited to do it this summer, though the situation is fluid.
A different option could be an approach for Racing Santander defender Jorge Salinas, who has a release clause around £13.7m. The 19 year old has also been a target for clubs including Atletico Madrid, but he could offer a stopgap option for United too.
Gakpo chooses Manchester City
An extraordinary transfer about to happen, it seems: Cody Gakpo is heading to Manchester City in what is thought to be a deal worth around £85m!
Multiple reports tonight say Gapko has chosen City over Spurs (or indeed staying at Liverpool), despite the competition for places at the Etihad.
His mind was made up by the signing of Bradley Barcola at Anfield, and now Liverpool will try to bring in another player to replace Gakpo before the deadline.
Forest’s final five transfer targets
Nottingham Forest lead the race for Pape Matar Sarr from Tottenham and also appear to be closing in on the £22m signing of Daniel Munoz – but according to The i Paper, these are not the only players targeted by Oliver Glasner as the transfer window nears its close.
Celta Vigo right-back Javi Rueda and Fiorentina’s Dodo is also on Forest’s radar, while the club is also targeting Corinthians midfielder Dodo.
DONE DEAL! Leeds sign understudy keeper for James Trafford
Leeds have announced the signing of Michael Zetterer from Eintracht Frankfurt as an understudy to first-choice goalkeeper James Trafford.
Zetterer has put pen to paper on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee and becomes the second goalkeeper to join Elland Road this summer, following the club record £45m Leeds paid for Trafford.
But because Zetterer was signed after the Premier League’s midday deadline on Friday, the 31-year-old German will not be available for Sunday’s game with Brentford.
Fellow goalkeeper Lucas Perri, who was on the bench for Leeds’ win at Nottingham Forest last weekend, has joined Serie A side Torino on a season-long loan.
Liverpool hold key meetings over Cody Gakpo future after Forest game
Cody Gakpo’s future at Liverpool will be decided today after the club’s home match with Nottingham Forest, during which the winger got an assist.
Key meetings took place after full-time at Anfield, according to Fabrizio Romano, with Man City and Tottenham interested in the Dutchman.
Liverpool will only sell Gakpo if they find a top replacement, and while Bradley Barcola is on the verge of joining the Reds, it is thought they want another winger before Tuesday’s deadline.
Tottenham youngster joins Luton on loan
Northern Ireland international Jamie Donley has joined Luton on a season-long loan from Spurs.
The 21-year-old midfielder spent last season on loan at Stoke and Oxford.
Rafael Leao bids emotional AC Milan farewell
AC Milan winger Rafael Leao has offered an emotional farewell to the club amid reports linking him with Turkish outfit Galatasaray.
Leao had been linked with Aston Villa but he now looks set to move to Istanbul.
“It’s a difficult time,” Leao said Friday after Milan’s 2-0 Serie A win over Venezia at the San Siro, where he was not part of the squad. “I’ve said goodbye to my teammates after seven years.
“Milan helped me grow and understand what top-flight football is all about. The time has come to say goodbye. I might have liked to say goodbye in a different way. The fans supported me even during the tough times.
“I know what I’ve achieved here; I’ll go down in the club’s history. All I can do is say thank you.
“My love for Milan will never end; even from afar, I’ll always be watching them.
“There are times when you have to make a decision and choose a different path.”
There are also reports that Galatasaray are interested in Jean-Philippe Mateta, despite being out with a muscular injury, though Man United, Tottenham and Villa are also keep tabs in the Frenchman.
Burnley interested in Ryan Giles
Burnley are looking to sign Hull City left-back Ryan Giles on loan, according to Football Insider.
A clause could be included in the deal to make his arrival permanent next summer.
Giles was key to Hull’s promotion last season and is a fan favourite at the MKM Stadium.
