Arsenal are reportedly in the market for another new striker after a major injury blow to Kai Havertz. Early names to pop up in the rumour mill are Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson and Ademola Lookman of Atalanta as they look to bolster a frontline containing recent acquisition Viktor Gyokeres.
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 latest transfer news, gossip, rumours and done deals in The Independent’s live blog below:
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Transfer news live
- Newcastle respond to explosive Isak statement
- Liverpool set deadline over Isak pursuit
- Kai Havertz out with knee injury could force Arsenal into buying a new striker
- 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
Crystal Palace line up possible Eberechi Eze replacement
17:10
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Mike Jones
Crystal Palace appear to be considering Bilal El Khannouss as a possible target to replace Eberechi Eze.
The club have monitored the Leicester forward this summer and could now go in for him if they do sell Eze.
Villa and Chelsea in talks for Jackson
16:49
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Mike Jones
Sky Sports Germany say that Villa have made a move for Chelsea Nicolas Jackson after completing the sale of Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle.
Florian Plettenberg wrote on X: "Aston Villa have added Nicolas Jackson to their shortlist and are closely monitoring his situation. Talks have already taken place.
“Several clubs are interested. FC Bayern have also gathered information, but a move to Munich is not happening.
“The 24-year-old versatile striker is still on the verge of leaving Chelsea. Aston Villa now there.”
Hojlund to leave Man Utd?
16:26
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Mike Jones
Rasmus Hojlund seems like he could be on his way out of Old Trafford after he was omitted from their matchday squad against Arsenal last Sunday.
The striker has had plenty of suitors this summer with AC Milan, Fulham and now Napoli interested in him.
United reportedly want around £40m for Hojlund but are open to loan deals under the right conditions. Napoli are pursuing the latter due to Romelu Lukaku being out for the next three months.
Now that Benjamin Sesko has arrived at Old Trafford Hojlund may struggle for gametime and a loan may be the best solution for him.
Arsenal receive Rodrygo boost
16:05
,
Mike Jones
Arsenal have been linked with a few attacking wingers this summer and have already brought in Noni Madueke.
They were invested in Eberechi Eze for a while though he seems more likely to join Tottenham.
Now they are rumoured to be looking at Real Madrid’s Rodrgyo who was also of interest to Manchester City. However, City’s decision to keep Savinho (who was targeted by Spurs) and Pep Guardiola’s desire to reduce his squad means Arsenal may be in prime position to secure him.
Rodrygo has reportedly been told he can leave this summer and Spanish outlet Cadena SER say Madrid’s asking price set is £76.8m (€90m).
Arsenal target Chelsea forward as cover for Havertz?
15:46
,
Jack Rathborn
Arsenal are considering a move for another Chelsea player, with Nicolas Jackson emerging as a target following reports that Kai Havertz is set for a long spell on the sidelines.
Team Talk reports that Jackson, who is valued at £60m by the Blues, could provide cover for the German and competition for new signing Viktor Gyokeres, with the report adding that Newcastle are also keen on the Senegalese striker.
The 24-year-old has fallen out of favour at Stamford Bridge and is now behind Joao Pedro and Liam Delap in the pecking order.
And Enzo Maresca confirmed last week that Jackson can leave the club: “He is training with us [the first-team squad], but he is not going to be involved. You know the situation already. The window transfer is open. He can leave, and we'll see.”
Will Man Utd make a move for Donnarumma?
15:29
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Mike Jones
It is a transfer that probably needs to happen for Manchester United.
Altay Bayindir’s error against Arsenal on Sunday cost a revamped and renewed United side a point against Arsenal at Old Trafford and PSG’s exiled goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma would improve them immensely.
Donnarumma was again left out of PSG’s squad, this time against Nantes in Ligue 1, after also being omitted from the Super Cup victory over Tottenham.
The Italian has been linked with both Manchester clubs with City perhaps slightly ahead of United in the rumour mill.
Need is more pressing for the team in red though as City have excellent goalkeepers at their disposal in James Trafford, Stefan Ortega and Ederson.
The latter is said to be potentially moving to Galatasaray which will be a factor in their pursuit of Donnarumma.
Liverpool set deadline in pursuit of Alexander Isak
15:08
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Mike Jones
The saga that has rolled on for most of the summer concerns Alexander Isak, Newcastle and Liverpool.
The Premier League champions submitted a £110m bid for Newcastle’s main forward but that was rejected out of hand and the Reds moved to sign Hugo Ekitike.
They have remained interested in Isak but the weekend’s results prove that Newcastle need his services more than Liverpool do.
The latest in this move is that Liverpool have made Isak their priority for the closing weeks of the window but want the deal done sooner than later.
They’ve set a deadline of next week to get an agreement done with Newcastle otherwise they will move on to other targets.
Spurs and Palace close to agreement over Eze
14:47
,
Mike Jones
Tottenham and Crystal Palace are very close to an agreement for winger Eberechi Eze.
The clubs have been in negotiations and are nearing an understanding over a deal for the 27-year-old.
Gary Neville on Manchester United's 'glaring issue'
14:28
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Mike Jones
The former Manchester United captain and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has picked out a ‘glaring issue’ that the club need to solve during the transfer window.
He said: “There is a glaring issue for United that can't be ignored, and that is that they need to find a goalkeeper, they have to. I am absolutely unequivocal on that.
“It's really unsettling when you don't have a dominant No1 who is dominant in the air, who makes a lot of saves in one on one and saves you points when your defenders make mistakes.
“They might have to magic up some more money in the next week or two or do something on loan.”
Kai Havertz injury blow forces Arsenal into transfer rethink
14:08
,
Mike Jones
Arsenal have suffered a bitter blow with Kai Havertz having picked up a knee injury, causing a rethink of their remaining transfer plans this summer.
According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Havertz is set for a spell on the sidelines after suffering the issue and is now undergoing assessments to determine the extent of the injury. Given these are still at an early stage, the prognosis and how long he will be out for is still unclear.
Douglas Luiz closing in on Forest move
13:28
,
Lawrence Ostlere
Douglas Luiz is on his way to Nottingham Forest.
The Brazilian made 27 appearances for Juventus last season, after switching from Aston Villa, but struggled to hold down a place in the starting XI.
And his time at Forest appears to be over, says Fabrizio Romano.
Fulham forward set to extend contract
13:08
,
Miguel Delaney
Rodrigo Muniz is set to sign a new contract at Fulham, reports Miguel Delaney.
The Brazilian striker, who scored the late equaliser at Brighton last weekend to earn the Cottagers a point, was linked with a move to Atalanta.
But Muniz, after Fulham knocked back a £35m bid for the 23-year-old, is now set to remain at Craven Cottage for the foreseeable future.
Leeds close in on Swiss forward Okafor
12:46
,
Lawrence Ostlere
Leeds are set to confirm the arrival of Swiss international forward Noah Okafor.
The 25-year-old scored seven goals in 54 games for AC Milan.
EXCL: Noah Okafor, on his way to England as he signs in as new Leeds player later today! ✈️
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 20, 2025
4 year contract plus option to extend, fee around €20m to AC Milan. #LUFC pic.twitter.com/VeUn2Lt92d
Kai Havertz out with knee injury
12:36
,
Mike Jones
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.
12:24
,
Lawrence Ostlere
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.
Fofana deletes Chelsea references from social media amid transfer speculation
12:06
,
Luke Baker
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.
Wesley Fofana has removed everything Chelsea related off his Instagram. pic.twitter.com/Eajjd33wRE
— Sam C (@SamC_reports) August 20, 2025
Man United want Sevilla star
11:55
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Luke Baker
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.
Dibling an option for Palace as Eze replacement
11:40
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Luke Baker
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.
Xabi Alonso: 'I can count on Rodrygo'
11:29
,
Lawrence Ostlere
Will Rodrygo stay at Real Madrid? He did not feature in their opening game of the season amid speculation linking the Brazilian to Arsenal, among other clubs, but Xabi Alonso has suggested he will be involved.
“Rodrygo? Nothing is happening. I count on Rodrygo of course, it’s just a game. This was my decision.”
Kiwior in talks to exit Arsenal
11:25
,
Luke Baker
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.
DONE DEAL! Bailey leaves Villa
11:11
,
Luke Baker
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.
Aston Villa can confirm Leon Bailey has joined AS Roma on loan.
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) August 20, 2025
The Fifa rule that hands Isak transfer leverage over Newcastle
10:56
,
Lawrence Ostlere
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:
Leverkusen hijack Dortmund's Echeverri deal
10:41
,
Lawrence Ostlere
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.
BREAKING | Claudio Echeverri to Bayer 04 Leverkusen – DONE DEAL!
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) August 19, 2025
Hijack complete. Dortmund submitted an official offer, but #BVB have now been informed that #Echeverri will join B04. Full agreement between Leverkusen/ManCity following the prior verbal agreement with the 19… pic.twitter.com/DwYBBQUaJ6
El Khannouss a key part of Eze's Spurs transfer
10:27
,
Lawrence Ostlere
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.
Leipzig contact Chelsea over Nkunku
10:12
,
Lawrence Ostlere
More on Christopher Nkunku, whose potential move to Bayern Munich has stalled, as mentioned below, per the Guardian.
Well, the Athletic reports that RB Leipzig have started talks with Chelsea over bringing Nkunku back to the club where he spent four seasons before moving to Stamford Bridge.
The deal is “not close yet” but Nkunku is prepared to join Leipzig.
Villa exploring Jackson deal
09:47
,
Lawrence Ostlere
Aston Villa are looking into the possibility of signing Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, according to the Telegraph, but only if the Blues’ £60m price tag drops significantly before deadline day.
Villa do not have as much PSR headroom as some of their Premier League rivals, having missed out on qualification for the Champions League this season, although the sale of Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle has eased some of that pressure.
The club can spend but it sounds like Chelsea will need to soften their stance on Jackson if he is to move on.
West Ham and Wolves compete for Barcelona starlet
09:32
,
Jack Rathborn
Should West Ham get Alvarez off the books, then a deal for Barcelona’s Marc Casado could materialise, reports Marca.
Wolves are also keen on the Spain midfielder, though the 21-year-old is reluctant to leave the Camp Nou.
The Premier League duo will negotiate with the Catalan giants in a bid to bring the defensive midfielder to England and offer regular first team football.
West Ham set to sanction Alvarez loan deal
09:21
,
Jack Rathborn
West Ham could sanction a move for Mexican midfielder Edson Alvarez to Fenerbahce on loan.
The Hammers could then free up some wages and strengthen before the deadline.
Talksport reports the 27-year-old could leave before the deadline with Graham Potter desperately searching for improvements after a rocky start to the season.
Cristian Romero ends transfer speculation by signing new Tottenham contract
09:10
,
Jack Rathborn
Tottenham captain Cristian Romero has ended uncertainty over his future by signing a new long-term contract at the club.
The 27-year-old Argentina centre-back, who had been heavily linked with a move to Atletico Madrid earlier this summer, was named as Spurs' new skipper on Wednesday following the departure of Son Heung Min.
Romero had entered the final two years of his previous deal, but has put pen to paper on new terms running until 2029. This news will be a major boost to new Tottenham boss Thomas Frank, who fielded several questions on the topic of Romero's commitment in Friday's press conference - days after he named him captain.
Rodrigo Muniz set to stay at Fulham
09:00
,
Jack Rathborn
Brazil forward Rodrigo Muniz is set to stay at Fulham with his move to Atalanta now off.
The Cottagers knocked back an offer of £35m for the 24-year-old, who scored the equaliser against Brighton to earn a point during the opening weekend of the Premier League season.
But the Serie A club are unlikely to return with an improved offer, reports Fabrizio Romano.
Forest near Douglas Luiz deall to bring Brazilian back to Premier League
08:51
,
Jack Rathborn
Brazil midfielder Douglas Luiz is heading back to the Premier League with Nottingham Forest.
The 27-year-old joined Juventus from Aston Villa, but the move has failed to work out, leaving Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis to broker a deal for the player’s return.
A deal with the Turin club's general manager Damien Comolli is now close, reports Tuttosport.
Newcastle set limit on Yoane Wissa deal
08:42
,
Jack Rathborn
Newcastle appear ready to keep Alexander Isak after their emphatic response to the player’s bombshell statement on Tuesday night.
But they are also reluctant to pay more than £40m for Brentford striker Yoane Wissa, reports the Northern Echo.
The Bees have put a £60m price tag on the 28-year-old DR Congo international, which could leave another frustrated party in this saga.
Bayern hit trouble in Nkunku pursuit to delay Chelsea deal for Simons
08:31
,
Jack Rathborn
Bayern Munich have encountered trouble in their pursuit of Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku.
A deal for the 27-year-old has stalled, reports the Guardian.
And the knock-on effect is that it has delayed Chelsea's attempts to sign RB Leipzig's 22-year-old Dutch midfielder Xavi Simons.
Bournemouth sign Liverpool winger Ben Doak in deal worth up to £25million
08:21
,
Jack Rathborn
Bournemouth have completed the signing of winger Ben Doak from Premier League rivals Liverpool in a deal worth up to £25million.
The 19-year-old Scotland international has agreed a five-year contract at Vitality Stadium.
Doak spent last season on loan at Championship club Middlesbrough, scoring three goals and registering seven assists in 24 appearances.
Bournemouth are understood to have paid an initial £20m and could spend a further £5m in add-ons as they reinvest some of the funds received from a series of lucrative summer departures.
Forward Dango Ouattara finalised a £42.5m move to Brentford at the weekend, while the south-coast club had already sold defenders Illia Zabarnyi, Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez to Paris St Germain, Real Madrid and Liverpool respectively for a total of around £150m.
Lionesses star Michelle Agyemang leaves Arsenal on loan to join another WSL club
08:10
,
Jack Rathborn
Arsenal’s Michelle Agyemang has rejoined Brighton on loan for the 2025/26 Women’s Super League season following her breakout summer with England at Euro 2025.
Agyemang, 19. scored twice at the tournament and was named best young player as the Lionesses defeated Spain to retain their European title in Switzerland.
She spent last season on loan at Brighton, scoring five goals, as she earned a surprise call-up to Sarina Wiegman’s England squad and then rescued the Lionesses against Sweden in the quarter-finals and Italy in the semi-finals.
Newcastle hint at Alexander Isak decision
08:01
,
Jack Rathborn
summer and hinted at no future deal for an exit materialising in the closing stages of the transfer window.
The saga turned ugly on Tuesday evening with the Swedish striker accusing the club of “broken promises” and maintaining that “trust is lost” between the parties.
But the Carabao Cup winners hit back with their own strongly-worded statement, hitting Isak’s hopes of a move to Liverpool, who had a £110m bid rejected earlier this summer, by underlining that they “do not foresee those conditions [of a sale] being met]” before the deadline.
A club statement read: “We are disappointed to have been alerted to a social media post by Alexander Isak this evening. We are cle
