Tottenham Pursue Gakpo as Arsenal Targets Guimarães in Transfer Window
Tottenham have found their headline act for the final stretch of the window. Now they just need to see if Liverpool will actually let him leave.
Cody Gakpo, whose form dipped alarmingly last season, is the subject of serious interest from Spurs, with a bid in the region of £70m being prepared to bring the Dutchman to north London. That sort of money used to sound outrageous. This summer, it sounds like a starting point.
Liverpool’s stance is, officially at least, firm. According to the Mail, they “have no plans to sell Gakpo” and it would take a “huge sum” to shift that position. The Athletic echo the line that there is “no intention of selling” – then immediately add a caveat that tells the real story: Liverpool would judge his value against other deals this summer, including Morgan Rogers’ move to Chelsea.
So the door isn’t wide open. It isn’t locked, either. It’s on the chain, and Tottenham are rattling it with an XXL chequebook they seem increasingly comfortable waving around.
Mudryk market reopens
At Chelsea, another big-money winger is back in the shop window – or at least back in the gossip columns.
Mykhailo Mudryk, recently cleared to play again after serving a doping ban, has attracted enquiries from “multiple Premier League clubs”, report the Mirror. Only one is named: Coventry City, managed by Frank Lampard, who returns to the Chelsea orbit yet again, this time from the outside looking in.
The Sun add a little more colour: two more top-flight sides are believed to have asked the question, with three clubs from Europe also circling. The Mirror couldn’t resist it and splashed their story under the headline “Mud Fight”. For once, the pun fits the chaos. No firm offers yet, but the sense is clear – Mudryk’s Chelsea career is no longer ring-fenced.
Coventry’s phone bill doesn’t stop there. They’re also among the clubs tracking Everton midfielder Tim Iroegbunam, joining interest from unnamed Italian sides, Hull and Ipswich. Hull’s recruitment team are busy, too. They’ve already seen a second bid rejected for Augsburg’s Mert Kömür, a signal they’re not just window-shopping.
Arsenal push on Guimarães as superclub names swirl
Across London, Arsenal are trying to turn admiration into action.
As reported by the Guardian, the Gunners have opened formal talks with Newcastle over Bruno Guimarães. The gap in valuation is said to be around £10m for the 28-year-old, a figure that sounds small enough to bridge but big enough to drag negotiations into the final days of the window.
The Express go even further, claiming Arsenal could complete as many as six deals this week alone. On the list of possible arrivals, alongside Guimarães, are Vinicius Júnior and Ferran Torres. The names are glamorous, the realities less so.
Barcelona want to tie Torres to a new contract, while the forward has also drawn interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Atlético Madrid. That doesn’t close the door on Arsenal, but it leaves them queuing behind clubs with deep pockets and Champions League guarantees.
There is movement in the other direction. Milan are keen on Gabriel Jesus, whose role under Mikel Arteta has shrunk. Fábio Vieira and Christian Nørgaard are also described as unwanted, with Arsenal ready to reshape the middle and front thirds of their squad.
The club’s scouts are scouring the domestic market, too. Blackburn’s 18-year-old forward Igor Tyjon, Cardiff’s 16-year-old midfielder Axel Donczew and Crystal Palace youngster Mylo Bernard – a 16-year-old forward – are all on the radar. Arsenal want the present in Guimarães. They also want the next wave lined up behind him.
West Ham chase width and goals
West Ham, as ever, are in the thick of it.
They need a winger and have turned to Tottenham’s Manor Solomon as a potential solution. Talks are under way, but they’re not alone at the table. Fiorentina are in the hunt for the 27-year-old as well, and Italian clubs rarely back out of a deal once they sense value.
One door has already slammed shut. Sunderland have decided they will not sell Wilson Isidor to the Hammers, forcing the London club to pivot quickly. The response has been decisive: an £18m bid is being prepared for AZ Alkmaar striker Troy Parrott.
That offer, if and when it lands, won’t be uncontested. Porto, Como, Ajax, Real Betis and PSV Eindhoven are all interested in the forward. It’s a crowded race, exactly the sort West Ham have too often lost in recent years.
This time, they know the stakes. Miss out again, and the season’s attacking plan starts to look thin before a ball is even kicked.
