Crystal Palace prepares bold £50m bid for Jarrod Bowen

The new week opens with Crystal Palace ready to test the market’s nerve. The club are preparing a bold £50m offer to bring Jarrod Bowen back to the Premier League, according to reports, in what would be one of the window’s most audacious moves. The plan is clear: add proven top-flight firepower and make a statement before the deadline bites.

Premier League: Big bids and bigger questions

In Saudi Arabia, Al Hilal are lining up a double raid on England. The club are working on a move for Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli and Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins, a pair who would instantly reshape their attack if deals can be forced through.

Watkins’ situation at Villa is already under the microscope. After Aston Villa’s bruising 4-0 defeat to Brighton at the Amex on Sunday, Unai Emery did little to quash talk that his main striker had refused to play. The manager’s refusal to shut the story down outright has only intensified scrutiny around a player who has been central to Villa’s rise.

At Old Trafford, Manchester United’s search for reinforcements continues to circle Alejandro Balde. The Barcelona full-back was left out of the squad for their LaLiga opener against Elche, a decision that will only fuel United’s interest as they look for long-term answers on the left side of defence.

On Merseyside and Tyneside, attention briefly shifted from transfer sagas to memory and respect. Before Liverpool and Newcastle met on the Premier League’s opening weekend, supporters from both clubs joined in a tribute to Kevin Keegan, a figure woven into the history of each side.

EFL: A familiar firebrand heads for Serie A

Down the pyramid, one of English football’s most talked-about characters is packing his bags. Preston North End forward Milutin Osmajic, who has picked up a series of bans during his time in England, is set to leave for Serie A after agreeing a move to Genoa. A combustible stint in the EFL looks to be over, with Italian football now his next stage.

Europe: Pogba cuts price, Simeone explains Alvarez call, Kane crowned

Away from the pitch, Paul Pogba has made a sharp adjustment off it. The former Manchester United midfielder, now leaving AS Monaco, has slashed the asking price on his five-bedroom Cheshire mansion. The property has dropped by £450,000 from an original £3.95m after a struggle to find a buyer, underlining how eager he is to draw a line under his Premier League past.

In Spain, Diego Simeone has moved to cool speculation around another Premier League-linked name. Julian Alvarez, a target for Arsenal, did not stand with his Atletico Madrid team-mates to applaud the home supporters after full-time on Sunday. Simeone insisted the decision was planned, an internal call rather than a public statement from the player.

Germany, meanwhile, continues to belong to Harry Kane. The Bayern Munich striker has been voted the 2026 player of the year in Germany by an association of sports journalists, edging out team-mate Michael Olise. It is another individual marker in a spell that has seen Kane dominate the Bundesliga scoring charts and the headlines that come with them.

Scotland: Rangers miss out, Celtic circle

In Scotland, the transfer picture is shifting quickly.

Couhaib Driouech, whose move to Rangers collapsed just nine days ago, now looks set to leave PSV after all. The Dutch club appear ready to sanction his departure, leaving Rangers to watch a former target head elsewhere.

At Como, ex-Celtic winger Nicolas Kuhn has been placed on the transfer list after being left out of the squad entirely. His omission signals a clear willingness to listen to offers and could tempt clubs looking for a low-cost wide option late in the window.

Celtic themselves are moving on another front. The Scottish champions are preparing to ramp up their interest in Gvidas Gineitis once Tuesday’s Champions League play-off is out of the way, with the club keen to strengthen while the group-stage carrot still hangs in front of them.

The clock is ticking across Europe. Big bids, uneasy stars, and one or two late jolts still feel inevitable before the window finally slams shut.