Tottenham's Record Transfers and Arsenal's Bold Moves

Tottenham rip up the market, Arsenal circle Barcola and Manchester United scramble for answers. All while the World Cup rages on. The summer window has lost all sense of restraint.

Spurs smash records, twice

Tottenham have gone from cautious rebuild to full-blown spending spree in a matter of days.

First came Sandro Tonali from Newcastle in a deal worth £100million, a statement signing in the heart of midfield that would usually define an entire summer. Instead, it was only the opening act.

Now Spurs have confirmed the £85m arrival of Mateus Fernandes from West Ham, a club-record fee for a 21-year-old who already looks built for the Premier League tempo. He signs a six-year contract and walks straight into Roberto De Zerbi’s vision of a high-energy, front-foot side.

De Zerbi has made no secret of his admiration. He wanted Fernandes early, he wanted him before pre-season, and he has got him. The Italian sees a midfielder who can take the ball under pressure, drive a team up the pitch and still graft without it. Tottenham, for once, are not just talking about ambition. They are paying for it.

And they are not done.

The next target on the list is Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi. At 20, he is already attracting serious attention from Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain, but Spurs are pushing to make him their next blockbuster move. Bournemouth want more than £80m. Tottenham, fresh from smashing their transfer record twice in two days, look in no mood to haggle.

Savinho at Manchester City and AC Milan’s Rafael Leao are also being watched. De Zerbi wants his squad in place when pre-season starts next week. The board are trying to keep up with his pace.

Arsenal turn heads – and have one turned

Across north London, Arsenal are working a different angle. They want to upgrade a title-winning squad without losing their financial grip, and they are testing the market at the very top end.

Bruno Guimaraes is central to that plan. Newcastle’s captain, one of the Premier League’s most complete midfielders, has been sounded out. Arsenal have held initial talks with his representatives and, encouraged by the player’s side, lodged an informal proposal of around £55m.

Newcastle rejected it. That was always likely. The concern on Tyneside now is less about the bid and more about the impact. Reports suggest Guimaraes may have had his head turned by the pursuit, a dangerous development for a club trying to hold their project together while others circle.

At the back, the numbers are even more extreme. Barcelona are weighing up a move for William Saliba, who has become one of the most coveted centre-backs in Europe. Any deal would have to be a world-record fee for a defender, with suggestions Arsenal would only even listen at around £130m. That figure alone shows how central Saliba is to Mikel Arteta’s plans.

On the flanks, the focus is on Bradley Barcola. Initially, Paris Saint-Germain flatly refused to discuss a sale. That stance has softened. Barcola has been reluctant to sign a new contract and wants more starts next season, and PSG are now thought to be open to a deal at the right price.

The right price will be huge. Figures beyond the £116m Manchester City paid for Elliot Anderson are being floated. Arsenal, who have been encouraged that a move could be possible, scouted Barcola as he scored in France’s 3-0 World Cup win over Sweden. He is one of three left-wing targets, alongside Morgan Rogers and Christos Tzolis, but he is clearly the headline act.

Not every Arsenal player is safe, though. Leandro Trossard, once a key squad option, may be on his way out. The club have accepted a £17m offer from Besiktas, leaving the decision with the Belgian. He joined from Brighton in 2023 for £20.6m and has delivered 36 goals and 34 assists in 174 games in all competitions, a solid return that has not guaranteed him a future.

Right now he is at the World Cup with Belgium, with two goals in three games heading into a round-of-32 tie against Senegal. His next move, club and country, sits on a knife edge.

United chase midfield answers

While Spurs surge and Arsenal probe, Manchester United are scrambling to reshape their own midfield plan.

Missing out on both Tonali and Fernandes has forced Michael Carrick and the INEOS hierarchy to pivot quickly. A new shortlist is in place, with Bournemouth’s Alex Scott now high on the agenda.

Scott is under contract until 2028 and Bournemouth are in no mood to sell. They would rather extend his deal than cash in, and value the 20-year-old at around £80m. United admire his blend of technical quality and Premier League experience, but prising him away will be brutally expensive.

He is not the only option. Felix Nmecha at Borussia Dortmund is on the radar, as is Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni, a player United regard as a dream signing but one who would require a major breakthrough in negotiations with the Spanish giants.

Carlos Baleba of Brighton and Fulham’s Sander Berge are also being monitored, offering different profiles for a midfield that needs legs, presence and depth ahead of United’s return to the Champions League. Sandro Tonali remains appreciated at Old Trafford, but the Italian is already in advanced talks with Spurs.

United know what they need. The question is whether they can move fast enough in a market that is moving at full sprint.

PSG bend on Barcola, Juventus eye Brobbey

Back in France, PSG’s slight softening over Barcola is one of the more intriguing shifts of the window. A player they once deemed untouchable may now be available, if someone is willing to pay a nine-figure fee and hand him the starting role he craves.

Elsewhere on the continent, Juventus are preparing for their own attacking shake-up. With Randal Kolo Muani out of favour at Paris Saint-Germain and coming off a difficult loan spell at Tottenham, Juve are lining up alternatives.

One of them is Sunderland forward Brian Brobbey. The 24-year-old impressed at the World Cup with the Netherlands and is being assessed as a potential option should a move for Kolo Muani fail. It is a reminder that this market is not just about the Premier League’s superclubs; strong tournament form can still tilt the plans of Europe’s giants.

Forest pull the trigger, Glasner waits in the wings

Away from transfers, Nottingham Forest have detonated one of the summer’s most ruthless managerial calls.

Vitor Pereira, who arrived in February on an 18-month deal, has been sacked despite guiding Forest to Premier League survival and a Europa League semi-final. The club activated a June break clause in his contract, informing him of their decision just two minutes before it expired.

Pereira described the move as a “complete surprise” and “without any warning”, but accepted the club’s right to choose a different path. He leaves with a sense of pride in what was built over the past months, yet his exit underlines the brutal speed at which owners now operate.

Oliver Glasner, fresh from his own departure at Crystal Palace, is expected to take over. Forest have traded a coach who delivered stability and European adventure for one whose stock has risen sharply in England. It is a gamble with clear upside, but also with risk.

A window with no brakes

From world-record talk around Saliba to nine-figure musings on Barcola, from Spurs’ £185m midfield revolution to United’s scramble for a new anchor, this window is already running hot.

The World Cup was meant to be a distraction. Instead, it has become a scouting fair.

If this is only the opening phase, what will the market look like by the time pre-season starts and the real pressure kicks in?