Transfer Window Aftershocks: Arsenal, Chelsea, and Richarlison Updates

Transfer window closes, but the aftershocks keep coming.

The Premier League’s summer business is officially done, yet the market refuses to go quiet. Deals are still being pushed across desks in Europe, big calls are being made on futures, and some of the continent’s biggest clubs are already plotting January.

Arsenal’s quiet end – and what comes next

Arsenal tiptoed through Deadline Day. The long pursuit of Julian Alvarez went nowhere, leaving Mikel Arteta without the marquee forward the club had spent the summer chasing. Gabriel Martinelli’s move to Saudi Arabia was wrapped up on Thursday, and Andria Bartishvili has already undergone his medical, but the big attacking splash never arrived.

In the final hours, the Gunners tried to change that. They made a late move for Inter captain Lautaro Martinez, testing the water after their Alvarez hopes collapsed. Inter refused to entertain it. Martinez later confirmed Barcelona’s interest in him was real, yet he chose to stay in Milan, stressing how settled he feels at the club and his determination to keep winning trophies with the Nerazzurri.

That leaves Arsenal still looking. Vinicius Junior and Alvarez remain on their radar for January, with reports suggesting the Gunners could return if injuries bite in attack. Vinicius, who was said to be open to a move to north London, ended up signing an improved contract at Real Madrid once the Spanish giants decided to keep him. Alvarez, meanwhile, stayed at Atletico Madrid after his preferred move to Barcelona was blocked and Arsenal failed to convince him to jump to the Premier League.

Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi, who impressed before a pre-season injury stalled his momentum, is also expected to stay on Arsenal’s shortlist as they plan ahead.

Chelsea rip it up and start again

Chelsea’s window ended in chaos and headlines. Enzo Fernandez was sold to Manchester City for £125million, matching the British transfer record and blowing a hole in the heart of Chelsea’s midfield.

They thought they had his replacement lined up. A deal was agreed for Lamine Camara, only for Monaco to pull out late and leave the Blues scrambling. The solution now looks like it will come in January.

Pablo Barrios has become the new obsession. Chelsea are preparing a serious push for the Atletico Madrid midfielder and are considering an offer in the region of €100m when the window reopens. Xabi Alonso is understood to see the 23-year-old Spain international as the ideal successor to Fernandez, a technically sharp presence to anchor the next phase of Chelsea’s rebuild.

Barrios has grown into a key figure at Atletico. Chelsea believe a bid of that size could force the Spanish club to make a decision.

It was not the only midfield move they tried. Manu Kone was close. Chelsea had a verbal agreement with Roma to bring him in, with the club owners themselves involved in talks. Time killed it. Roma could not secure a replacement and Gian Piero Gasperini vetoed the sale, shutting the door.

There was also a bold late attempt for James Garner. Everton rejected a £65m bid in the final hours, unwilling to lose the midfielder without time to find someone new.

Off the pitch, Chelsea Women made a significant call of their own. Erin Cuthbert has been named captain for the 2026/27 season, replacing Millie Bright after the England defender’s surprise decision to retire in April. The Scot, now entering her tenth year at the club and already on 301 appearances, called the role “a great honour” and spoke of understanding the weight of the armband at Chelsea – and being ready to carry it.

Richarlison races the clock

One story still has a ticking clock attached. Richarlison’s future hangs on the Turkish deadline.

The Brazil forward has been left out of Tottenham’s Premier League squad and, with the English window shut, Turkey represents his only route to regular football for the rest of the calendar year. Trabzonspor are pushing to sign him before their window closes at midnight local time – 10pm in the UK.

Personal terms are said to be agreed. The hard part now lies between the clubs as they haggle over a fee. Everton had already struck a deal worth an initial £25m to bring Richarlison back, but the striker could not agree a contract, leaving him in limbo and Turkey as his remaining option.

Trabzonspor need a lift. Four points from three league games and a 5-0 aggregate defeat to Ferencvaros in their Europa League play-off have underlined the scale of the task. Landing Richarlison would be a statement that they intend to fight their way out of this poor start.

Tottenham, who brought in Mykhailo Mudryk and Tosin Adarabioyo on Deadline Day, are waiting for clarity. One way or another, that decision lands tonight.

England’s next generation gets new voices

Away from the market, England’s youth setup has added two familiar names. Conor Coady and Paul Williams will join Lee Carsley’s England U21 coaching staff this autumn after Ashley Cole’s departure.

Coady, the former Wolves and England defender, returns to the development pathway after working with the MU19s earlier this year. The 33-year-old, who won 10 senior caps and went to Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup, brings recent tournament experience into a dressing room full of players trying to make that same leap.

Williams, with deep Premier League experience as a player, steps up from England’s U15s and will combine the U21 role with his job as a senior coach developer at the FA.

The Young Lions, reigning European champions, have three Euro 2027 qualifiers left as they look to book their place at next summer’s finals. Fresh ideas, same expectation.

City’s contingency and the next battles

Manchester City are already thinking about life when Erling Haaland is not on the pitch. The Independent reports that Antoine Semenyo has emerged as their preferred option to lead the line whenever Haaland is unavailable or rested, with Enzo Maresca increasingly seeing him as the main alternative through the middle.

Further down the line, the next tug-of-war is taking shape in Germany. Newcastle and Aston Villa are set to battle for 20-year-old Bayer Leverkusen striker Christian Kofane in January, according to Football Insider, as both clubs look to deepen their attacking options for the second half of the season.

The window has closed. The negotiating has not.