Tottenham and Arsenal Heat Up Transfer Market Amid United's Search

The World Cup is raging on, but the transfer market has refused to slow down. England’s heavyweights are spending, scrambling and plotting, with Tottenham tearing up their own record books, Arsenal probing at Paris, and Manchester United searching for a new midfield heartbeat.

Spurs smash their ceiling – twice

Tottenham have gone from cautious operators to headline writers in the space of 48 hours.

First came Sandro Tonali. Prised away from Newcastle in a deal worth £100million, the Italy midfielder has become the latest symbol of Spurs’ new ambition under Roberto De Zerbi. That alone would have been a statement summer signing.

Then they went again.

The club have confirmed the £85m capture of Mateus Fernandes from West Ham, a fee that instantly becomes a new club record. The 21-year-old has signed a six-year contract and walks into a midfield now built to dominate the ball rather than just chase it.

“I've admired Mateus for a long time,” De Zerbi said, underlining just how central the Brazilian is to his plans. He talked about Fernandes’ courage under pressure, his ability to progress the ball and his work-rate without it. This is not a luxury buy; this is a cornerstone.

Fernandes himself pointed straight at the dugout as the decisive factor.

“Spurs is a massive club and the Head Coach was a key part of why I have decided to join,” he said, describing a shared vision of an aggressive, energetic team that goes onto the pitch to “try and win every game”.

The spending will not stop there. Tottenham want Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi next, with the south-coast club demanding more than £80m for the 20-year-old. Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are in that race too, but Spurs are pushing hard to get De Zerbi’s squad locked in before pre-season starts next week.

Savinho at Manchester City and AC Milan’s Rafael Leao remain on their radar. This is a club behaving like a contender, not a bystander.

Arsenal turn heads – and maybe Bruno’s

Across north London, Arsenal are moving with a different kind of aggression.

They have opened talks over a potential move for Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes, a player central to everything Eddie Howe has built at St James’ Park. Initial conversations with the Brazilian’s representatives have taken place, and an informal proposal of around £55m has already been knocked back.

Newcastle have rejected the approach, but reports in the north-east suggest the damage might already be done: Guimaraes, it is claimed, could have had his head turned by Arsenal’s pursuit. For a player of his stature, the idea of anchoring a title-chasing midfield in London is a powerful lure.

At the same time, Arsenal are testing the resolve of Paris Saint-Germain over Bradley Barcola. Once deemed untouchable, the France winger is now the subject of a more flexible stance in Paris. Barcola has been reluctant to sign a new deal, with game time a major concern, and that has opened a door.

Arsenal, who want a left winger and have also looked at Morgan Rogers and Christos Tzolis, have scouted Barcola at the World Cup. He underlined his quality with the second goal in France’s 3-0 win over Sweden. Figures in excess of the £116m Manchester City paid for Elliot Anderson are being mentioned as the kind of number that might tempt PSG to talk.

The Gunners have received encouragement that a deal is at least possible. That alone will keep the pressure on in Paris.

There are outgoing questions too. Leandro Trossard, currently at the World Cup with Belgium and in sharp form with two goals in three games, has attracted a £17m offer from Besiktas. Arsenal have accepted, but the forward has yet to decide whether to leave the Premier League champions. At 29, with 36 goals and 34 assists in 174 club games, he faces a significant career call.

In the background, Barcelona are reported to be weighing up a world-record bid for a defender to test Arsenal’s resolve over William Saliba. Any offer would have to be in the region of £130m to even start a conversation. That is the level of talent Arsenal are now building around – and the level of noise their success has created.

United’s midfield rethink

While Tottenham close deals and Arsenal push at the top end of the market, Manchester United are recalibrating.

They have missed out on both Tonali and Fernandes. That double blow has forced Michael Carrick and the INEOS hierarchy to redraw their shortlist in a hurry, with five names now at the forefront of their midfield rebuild.

Bournemouth’s Alex Scott sits high on that list. The 20-year-old is admired for his composure and vision, and United’s interest is strong. The problem? Bournemouth are in no mood to sell. They want to extend a contract that already runs until 2028 and value him at around £80m.

Felix Nmecha at Borussia Dortmund is another option, as is Fulham’s Sander Berge and Brighton’s Carlos Baleba. All would add legs and presence, but none carry the same star power as the name United dream about: Aurelien Tchouameni.

The Real Madrid and France midfielder is seen as a “dream signing” at Old Trafford, the kind of elite anchor who could transform their structure. Whether Madrid will even entertain talks is another matter entirely.

United still “appreciate” Tonali, but with the Italian in advanced negotiations with Spurs, that particular route looks all but closed. The race to reinforce before their Champions League return is on, and they are already playing catch-up.

A restless market: Barcola, Brobbey and a Forest shock

The World Cup has thrown unexpected names into the shop window. Sunderland forward Brian Brobbey, 24, has caught Juventus’ eye after an impressive tournament with the Netherlands. The Italian giants see him as an alternative to Randal Kolo Muani, who is surplus to requirements at PSG after a miserable loan spell at Tottenham and has previously been on loan at Juve.

Back in England, Nottingham Forest have detonated one of the most surprising managerial changes of the summer.

Vitor Pereira, who signed an 18‑month deal in February, has been sacked despite guiding Forest to Premier League safety and a Europa League semi-final. The Portuguese coach revealed he was informed of the decision just two minutes before a June break clause in his contract expired.

“Although this decision came as a complete surprise to me and without any warning, I fully respect the club’s right to make the decisions it believes are best for its future,” he said in a statement, expressing both disappointment and pride in what had been achieved.

Oliver Glasner, fresh from leaving Crystal Palace, is expected to take over. Forest, like so many clubs this summer, have decided that standing still is more dangerous than rolling the dice.

From Tottenham’s record-smashing spree to Arsenal’s quiet pressure on PSG and Newcastle, and United’s scramble for a new midfield core, the market is moving fast. The only certainty is that the next twist will not be far away.