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Join our team of writers to stay in touch with the latest transfer activity as Tuesday’s deadline draws closer
This story summarizes reporting from theguardian.com. Read the original for full context. Wire items stay in our news sitemap for seven days. Editorial policy.
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Football — Dominic Booth
Fiorentina have reportedly agreed a deal to sign Willy Gnonto on loan from Leeds, with a medical booked on Tuesday.
The Italian winger has had a curious spell at Elland Road. He began like a house on fire, then drifted in and out of the team, finding himself as a substitute more often than not last season. Perhaps a fresh start for the 22-year-old is necessary.
Liverpool fans are getting a little angsty ahead of the transfer window’s final days and we’ve had this email from Graeme Neill:
I’m not exactly going to be sorry to see the back of Richard Hughes. Our transfer strategy over the last few seasons has been chaotic. Why we sold both Jones and Quansah remains baffling. We overpaid for Isak and, unlike Muñoz, he hasn’t felt like the kind of relatively bargain buy that defined the late 2010s. And the less said about his pre-season last year and corresponding fitness issues, the better. Unless Barcola can be reinvented as Fabinho circa 2019, it’s hard to get too excited about him either.
I am genuinely curious how excited City fans are about the prospect of Gakpo though.
Manchester City fans, get in touch: would you be excited to see Cody Gakpo as part of your frontline?
Rotherham United have confirmed the signing of Manchester United youngster Jayce Fitzgerald on loan for the rest of the season.
Barcelona have signed 16-year-old prodigy Mikael Baza from Hamburg – he will join their youth ranks.
Jaden Heskey is to return to Sheffield Wednesday from Manchester City on loan after impressing last season.
We’ll keep you updated with more deals like this throughout the day.
Here are our transfer interactives for you to keep on top of:
Related: Men’s transfer window summer 2026: all deals from Europe’s top five leagues
Related: Women’s transfer window summer 2026: all deals from world’s top six leagues
It’s turning into quite an interesting window for Everton . Balogun should be an upgrade on Beto up front, while David Moyes has sounded quite confident about Thierno Barry’s progress at the start of his second season in English football – always a crucial point in a player’s development. How much game time Barry gets if and when Balogun arrives will be interesting.
Losing Ndiaye would be a loss but Richarlison is beloved on the blue side of Merseyside and a fine left-wing replacement if that deal from Spurs happens, while there is still talk of a possible second loan for Jack Grealish.
Woltemade set for Juventus loan, Everton in talks with Balogun
Nick Woltemade is closing in on a loan move from Newcastle to Juventus , a year after arriving on Tyneside in a club record £69m deal; while Everton are in talks with Monaco over a deal to sign Folarin Balogun after agreeing to sell Beto to Fiorentina.
Related: Transfer latest: Juventus in Woltemade loan talks, Everton pushing for Balogun
Re: Liverpool’s transfer strategy , here is our correspondent Andy Hunter writing in today’s 10 talking points from week’s Premier League games:
It underlines the strangeness of Liverpool’s recent transfer strategy that the understandable excitement generated by Bradley Barcola’s impending £123m arrival from Paris Saint-Germain is offset by concern over the gaps in Iraola’s squad that have not been filled – right-wing, right-back and central midfield being the most obvious ones. The need to improve in all three departments was evident as Liverpool had to fight back to salvage a late 2-2 draw [against Nottingham Forest]. “We don’t know what the squad is going to be on 2 September,” said Iraola, surely holding out hope that wingers are not the only incomings before Tuesday. “I think every analysis I can make is when I know and when everything finishes, when I will know who is going to be here all the season or until January.”
West Ham: The Hammers are closing on a deal to sign the Viking winger Edvin Austbø for about £10m. The Championship club have also submitted an offer to sign Ryan Giles on loan with an option to buy, but Hull do not want to lose the left-back.
Ollie Watkins has gone from Aston Villa to the Saudi Pro League to join Al-Hilal, and the England striker will be thrown straight into a big game against Al-Ahli and faces the highest of expectations – against fellow Three Lions forward hopeful, Ivan Toney.
John Duerden reports on the two English strikers vying for Thomas Tuchel’s attention from the gulf.
Related: Watkins faces Toney clash as strikers push for Saudi supremacy and Tuchel’s attention
Liverpool: Why do the Reds want to sell Cody Gakpo, I hear you ask?
It’s a good question as Gakpo, despite some criticism from fans at times, has been pretty consistent during his three-and-a-half years at Anfield, scoring 51 goals in around 180 appearances for Liverpool, playing almost exclusively on the left wing.
The departure of Mohamed Salah, plus the signing of Victor Muñoz, the emergence of Rio Ngumoha and the pending arrival of Bradley Barcola have all contributed to a situation where Liverpool believe selling Gakpo and reinvesting the cash would be a wise move.
Ngumoha, Muñoz and Barcola are all better on the left flank, where Gakpo likes to play, while Liverpool have right-sided forwards – such as Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh and Ismaïla Sarr of Crystal Palace – on their radar. It seems Liverpool want to address the balance of their attack and Gakpo is the fall guy. Still, selling to Manchester City, as has been suggested, would be surprising. Big clubs don’t like to sell first team players to their rivals.
The Rumour Mill is the only place to start, if you will forgive the self-promotion, given I was tasked with writing today’s edition.
A merry-go-round of wide forwards could be upon us in the final days of the window.
Related: Football transfer rumours: Liverpool to sign Estêvão? Christian Pulisic to Spurs?
The end of a long summer of transfers is nigh: but not before a final, desperate, scrap for signings ensues in the final couple of days of the window. It never ceases to amaze us how and why clubs allow this to happen… but it provides compelling reading and watching as the deals roll in.
There are a number of ‘sagas’ to keep your eyes on: Cody Gakpo, Enzo Fernández and Ismaïla Sarr are three high-profile Premier League stars who could be on the move, with Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City three big clubs who ought to be very active in the next day or two. They won’t be alone. The signings keep on coming at Tottenham – and the Spurs owners may decree that more are required after a disappointing start to the season. Then there is Manchester United and their left-back situation, while lower down the English top flight the likes of Fulham and Crystal Palace, with new managers, will feel they must strengthen. And don’t forget about big deals around the continent, and in the women’s game.
So much to happen, to little time. Do join us throughout today and tomorrow as we build towards that 11pm (BST) transfer deadline tomorrow (Tuesday) when the window – and we’re obliged to say this – SLAMS SHUT. The deadline for WSL clubs is on Thursday 3 September.
The Italian winger has had a curious spell at Elland Road. He began like a house on fire, then drifted in and out of the team, finding himself as a substitute more often than not last season. Perhaps a fresh start for the 22-year-old is necessary.
This report is published with credit to theguardian.com. Full available text from the wire is above. Read on theguardian.com →
Source: theguardian.com · Dominic Booth. Published 31 Aug 2026, 10:24 am.
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