Latest Transfer News: Ollie Watkins, Pape Matar Sarr, and More
The window is open, the clock is ticking, and the money is moving. With the market running until September 1, clubs across Europe are scrambling to land their final pieces – or cash in while they still can.
Below are the latest moves and manoeuvres shaping a frantic end to the summer.
Villa brace for £50m Ollie Watkins bid from Al Hilal
Aston Villa are standing firm. For now.
They value Ollie Watkins at £50million and expect Al Hilal to get there if the Saudi Pro League club decide to finish what they’ve started. Four bids have already been rejected. The feeling at Villa Park is that the fifth could finally crack it.
Watkins is keen on the move. The salary on offer in Saudi Arabia dwarfs his current wages at Villa, and that interest has been consistent rather than speculative.
Villa, for their part, have been planning for life after their England forward. They are pursuing a £65m deal for Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, who would effectively step straight into Watkins’ role if the numbers line up.
The message from Villa is clear: meet the price, and Watkins goes. Fail, and he stays. For now, they’re preparing for both outcomes.
Monaco eye Pape Matar Sarr as midfield carousel turns
Tottenham’s Pape Matar Sarr is drawing a queue, and Monaco have just joined it.
The Ligue 1 side are scanning the market for midfielders with one eye on Lamine Camara, who has attracted offers from Crystal Palace and interest from Chelsea. If Camara goes, they want Sarr ready as a potential answer.
Spurs know Sarr has admirers. Monaco are simply the latest to put themselves in position if the dominoes start to fall.
Grealish future wide open as City keep every door ajar
Manchester City are in no rush to close off Jack Grealish’s options. Quite the opposite.
The 30-year-old has been brought back into the first-team picture, coming off the bench in each of City’s first two games. His loan spell at Everton last season kept him in the Premier League shop window, and Everton chief executive Angus Kinnear says the lines of communication have stayed open.
City have not committed to any single path. A permanent sale is on the table. Another loan is on the table. So is the possibility he stays – though that could mean restricted minutes under Enzo Maresca.
Maresca was blunt after Sunday’s win over Bournemouth: “He is here and it is my duty to coach Jack and to try to get the best. Then it is one more week to go and we will see what happens. Not only with Jack but also other players.”
The churn around him is already underway. Omar Marmoush is due for a medical at Tottenham today, while Nico Gonzalez is close to finalising his move to Newcastle. City are also signing Palmeiras winger Allan Elias, and a bid is expected to go in for Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez.
Grealish’s next move sits right in the middle of that reshuffle. One week to decide which way he jumps.
Liverpool balk at £80m Minteh price and scan for new winger
Liverpool like Yankuba Minteh. Just not at Brighton’s price.
The Anfield club have been exploring a deal for the 22-year-old Gambian winger, but Brighton’s valuation – closer to £80m – has been deemed too steep, especially with the player sidelined until October through injury.
Liverpool had hoped to strike a deal around £50m. That gap has pushed them to look at other wing options as they try to refresh their forward line without blowing their budget.
There is interest in their own ranks as well. Celta Vigo are understood to be keen on midfielder Stefan Bajcetic, who started his career at Vigo. Liverpool, though, have yet to receive a formal approach.
For now, Liverpool are shopping – and waiting.
Forest push on multiple fronts: Rueda, Andre and Neco Williams
Nottingham Forest are busy.
Talks are underway with Celta Vigo for right-back Javi Rueda, with an £8m offer on the table for the 25-year-old, who joined Celta from Real Madrid in 2024.
Tottenham have asked about Forest full-back Neco Williams, but he is expected to remain at the City Ground. Forest want to build, not strip back, and Williams is seen as part of that plan.
Their midfield is also in focus. As previously reported, Forest are in negotiations over a £13.6m move, including add-ons, for Corinthians midfielder Andre. The 20-year-old only made his league debut a year ago, yet Corinthians are holding out for more, aware of how quickly his value could rise.
Forest are trying to close one deal, keep another player, and edge towards a third. It’s a delicate balancing act in a window that rarely forgives hesitation.
Ipswich close in on £23.5m Palacios coup
Ipswich are on the brink of a statement signing.
They are finalising a £23.5m deal for Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Exequiel Palacios, with the 27-year-old having agreed a four-year contract. For a club still adjusting to life at the higher end of the English pyramid, it is a bold move.
At the same time, Ipswich are ready to cash in elsewhere. They want £9m for midfielder Anis Mehmeti, who has offers from Wrexham, Birmingham and Derby. One big arrival, one potential departure – and a clear sign of how aggressively they intend to shape their squad.
Osmajic exits Preston for Genoa
At Preston, the rebuild grows larger by the day.
Striker Milutin Osmajic has completed his move to Genoa, a switch Deepdale boss Paul Heckingbottom had already flagged at the weekend. Speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire, he admitted the scale of the task now facing him:
“The business we've done so far has been really good in terms of players we've brought in to replace, players who have gone out, but we've lost a lot of players. We've still got a lot to replace and now Milly is another one we've got to replace.”
One more hole to plug, one more signing to find. And the days are running out.
The deals still looming
The dominoes are lining up elsewhere, too. Nottingham Forest are closing in on a £45m deal for Liam Delap. Aston Villa remain in touch with AC Milan over Rafael Leao.
From Watkins to Grealish, from Palacios to Minteh, the market is crackling. The question now is simple: who blinks first before the window slams shut?
