Arsenal Pursue Hinshelwood as City Weigh Rodri's Future
The window is edging towards its frantic finale and the Premier League’s heavyweights are all juggling big calls at once.
Arsenal eye Hinshelwood after Saliba blow
Arsenal’s search for defensive cover has taken them back into the market – and possibly to Brighton.
With William Saliba sidelined, the Premier League champions have stepped up talks with Bayer Leverkusen over Jarell Quansah, the 23-year-old England international who left Liverpool earlier in his career. Quansah can operate at centre-back and right-back, a versatility Mikel Arteta badly needs.
At the same time, attention is drifting south. Brighton’s Jack Hinshelwood has emerged as a serious option, with Arsenal “in contention” to sign the 21-year-old. Arteta is understood to be an admirer, and it is not hard to see why.
Hinshelwood broke through last season, scoring four times in 27 Premier League appearances and showing he can play across midfield and at full-back. Brighton, never shy in the market, value their academy product at around £43m – a figure that would push any deal into the £50m bracket once add-ons are included.
Arsenal want to upgrade their attack as well, and that has led to some bold conversations.
Martinelli says no to Galatasaray
One name that briefly entered those talks was Gabriel Martinelli. Galatasaray explored a move for the Brazilian as part of negotiations around striker Victor Osimhen, with Arsenal among the clubs interested in the Galatasaray forward.
Martinelli, though, has rejected the chance to go. The winger has turned down a move to Istanbul, closing off one potential route for Arsenal to reshape their forward line.
The message is clear: Arsenal want to refresh the front end of the pitch, but they will not force out a player who still sees his future in north London.
Spurs rip up the Romero era and move for Gakpo
Across the city, Tottenham are braced for a hectic finish of their own – starting with a major departure.
Cristian Romero has left Spurs after five turbulent, unforgettable seasons, his move to Atletico Madrid now confirmed. The fee is 40 million euros (£34.1m), with a 15 per cent sell-on clause included.
Romero divided opinion like few others. A ferocious defender, a red card always lurking, he still carved his name into the club’s history. His man-of-the-match display in the 2025 Europa League final against Manchester United ended Tottenham’s 17-year wait for a trophy and gave him the moment he craved.
“When I arrived, I had a clear dream: to leave my name in this club’s history,” he wrote in a farewell message on Instagram. “The journey wasn’t perfect, but I don’t want that to define my goodbye.”
Spurs, for all the chaos, will feel this is the right time to cash in. And they are wasting no time plotting the next steps.
Reports in the Netherlands say Tottenham have reached an agreement over personal terms with Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo. Liverpool have been adamant they will not let Gakpo go without a suitable replacement in place, but the Dutchman has now been lined up by Roberto De Zerbi as a major target, with an “agreement in principle” understood to be there.
Tottenham’s work will not stop with Gakpo. A deal for Manchester City winger Savinho is close, and at least two more signings are planned before the window shuts. Spurs have also joined Manchester United and Arsenal in expressing interest in Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen, though Arsenal’s refusal to part with Martinelli has already complicated that particular puzzle.
The Romero era is over. A new version of Tottenham is being built at speed.
City, Barcelona and the Rodri domino
Over at Manchester City, one decision sits at the heart of their entire summer: what to do with Rodri.
Barcelona are preparing a third bid of around £60m for the Ballon d’Or winner. It will still fall short. City value their midfield lynchpin at around £70m and have been left baffled by the scale and structure of Barca’s approach so far.
Yet City are open to letting a long-serving legend fulfil his wish of returning to Spain after winning the World Cup this summer. If Barcelona finally hit the number, the domino effect could be huge.
The most obvious consequence lies at Stamford Bridge. Enzo Maresca wants Enzo Fernandez at the Etihad as a direct replacement for Rodri, and City had been seen as the last serious suitors for the Argentina midfielder.
Chelsea slam the door on Enzo Fernandez exit
Chelsea, though, have drawn a hard line. The club set a 5pm Friday deadline for any formal bid matching their £120m valuation of Fernandez. That deadline passed without an acceptable offer.
The stance was blunt: either a written offer at the price or the matter is closed. No bid arrived, and Chelsea now expect Fernandez to stay for the upcoming season.
Verbal terms that were floated to Fernandez’s camp back in May are now off the table. Unless Chelsea are persuaded into a dramatic U-turn, the World Cup winner will remain at Stamford Bridge when the window shuts on 1 September.
Manchester City are the only club still known to hold an active interest, especially after Real Madrid publicly ruled themselves out in July. The sale of Tijjani Reijnders to Al-Qadsiah for £52m was supposed to help fund a move, but without Chelsea’s cooperation, the plan has stalled.
If Rodri does go and Fernandez cannot be prised away, City’s carefully laid blueprint will need a rapid rewrite.
Bezos arrives at Anfield – but no transfer jackpot
One of the most eye-catching moves of the week did not involve a player at all.
Jeff Bezos, one of the world’s richest men, has bought into Liverpool as part of a consortium, 1892 Holdings, that has agreed a minority stake with Fenway Sports Group. The group, led by former QPR director Amit Bhatia and including Amazon founder Bezos and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, will take a 30 per cent share in the club worth £1.5bn.
With Bezos’ personal wealth estimated at around $270bn, Liverpool fans immediately wondered what this meant for the transfer budget. The answer, for now, is simple: nothing.
There will be no change to Liverpool’s transfer policy or spending power this window. No extra funds are being released for Andoni Iraola as he looks to strengthen before the 1 September deadline. Bezos may be a “silent partner”, but his arrival underlines how global uncertainty in football has opened the door for the billionaire class to move in.
The money is there in the background. It will not, yet, be splashed on the pitch.
A window balanced on a knife-edge
So the stage is set. Arsenal weigh up big money on Jack Hinshelwood and fight to reshape their attack without losing Gabriel Martinelli. Tottenham rip up their defensive core, chase Cody Gakpo and Savinho, and flirt with Victor Osimhen. Manchester City juggle loyalty to Rodri with the lure of Enzo Fernandez, while Chelsea refuse to blink.
The clock is ticking. Which of these power plays will actually land before the window slams shut?
