Arsenal explored a surprise late approach for Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez during the final days of the summer transfer window, according to the Daily Mail. The report states that Arsenal assistant manager Gabriel Heinze contacted the 29-year-old Argentina international early last week to sound out the possibility of a transfer. Inter Milan were unwilling to entertain any deal for their captain, firmly shutting down the approach before it could develop into a formal offer. Martinez still has three years remaining on his contract with the Serie A champions, leaving Inter in a strong negotiating position throughout the entire process.…
Author: James Coswell
Liverpool were seriously interested in signing Mateus Fernandes this summer, according to a report from The Athletic. The Portuguese midfielder, 22, had attracted widespread attention during the early stages of the summer transfer window as clubs lined up to secure his signature. Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur entered into a direct battle to sign Fernandes, with the race developing into one of the summer’s most compelling transfer sagas. Tottenham ultimately won that battle, paying a hefty fee of around £85m to bring the midfielder to north London. The Athletic reports that Liverpool had also identified Fernandes as a serious target,…
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has thrown his support behind his former club’s decision to sign midfielder Carlos Baleba from Brighton. The Red Devils found themselves short of options in central midfield after Casemiro’s departure and Manuel Ugarte suffering a serious knee injury that ruled him out of contention. With only Kobbie Mainoo available as a senior deeper midfield option, the club moved quickly to address the problem during the summer transfer window. United were initially linked with a string of high-profile names including Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, and Bruno Guimaraes before ultimately taking a different route. Michael…
Kobbie Mainoo has been backed to become a key figure in Manchester United’s midfield despite a difficult start to the new season. Manchester United legend Bryan Robson believes the 21-year-old still has a bright future at Old Trafford, regardless of the club’s recent midfield additions. Mainoo was restricted to a second-half cameo in United’s 2-0 Premier League opening defeat against Hull City on Saturday. Robson sees Mainoo eventually partnering Bruno Fernandes in central midfield, with Youri Tielemans, Santos, and new signing Carlos Baleba competing for the remaining starting spot. The former United captain was speaking on talkSPORT when he offered…
Ollie Whatmuff has made an immediate impression at Stockport after earning promotion from the National League with Rochdale under manager Jimmy McNulty last season. When McNulty jumped two divisions to join Stockport, the 18-year-old Manchester City goalkeeper was the first player he wanted to bring with him. City highlighted their belief in Whatmuff by including him in their pre-season tour party, where he worked closely alongside Gianluigi Donnarumma during training sessions. Samuel Iling-Junior arrives at Bolton from Aston Villa with experience spanning Juventus, Middlesbrough, West Brom and Pisa, having also scored in Serie A and earned 16 England Under-21 caps.…
Manchester United legend Nicky Butt has publicly tipped his former club to pursue a move for Chelsea forward Cole Palmer. Palmer, 24, came through Manchester City’s youth academy before making his first-team debut back in 2020 under Pep Guardiola. Despite showing considerable promise in City’s development setup, Palmer struggled to cement a regular place in Guardiola’s highly competitive starting line-up. That led to a move to Chelsea in 2023, a decision driven by Palmer’s desire to play consistently and accelerate his development at the highest level. His debut campaign at Stamford Bridge was nothing short of spectacular, with the Englishman…
Chelsea are setting their sights on Atletico Madrid midfielder Pablo Barrios as they look to address a significant gap left in their midfield this summer. The Blues sold Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City on Deadline Day during the recently concluded summer transfer window, leaving manager Xabi Alonso short in a key area of the pitch. Chelsea had attempted to bring in AS Monaco star Lamine Camara as a direct replacement for Fernandez, but that deal ultimately collapsed before the window shut. With January approaching, Xabi Alonso is likely to prioritise midfield reinforcements given how central Fernandez was to Chelsea’s system…
Wrexham secured their first Championship victory of the 2026 season with a commanding 3-0 defeat of a struggling Millwall side at The Den on Wednesday night. The Welsh club had endured a mixed start to their debut Championship campaign, drawing with Cardiff and Watford before suffering a home defeat to Birmingham City ahead of this fixture. They responded with a ruthless performance in south London, giving their promotion ambitions a significant boost after narrowly missing out on the playoffs last term. Millwall defender Zak Sturge deflected Issa Kaboré’s cross into his own net to hand Wrexham the opener in the…
Chelsea have made contact with former Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum over a potential free transfer following a chaotic end to their transfer window. The Blues were left critically short in central midfield after selling Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City in a deal worth £125 million, a fee that equalled the British transfer record. Chelsea had identified Monaco’s Lamine Camara as the primary replacement for Fernandez, but that move collapsed at the eleventh hour on deadline day. According to Foot Mercato, Chelsea subsequently reached out to Wijnaldum as they searched for an emergency solution to bolster their midfield options. The 35-year-old…