Chelsea Seeks Bissouma as Enzo Replacement, Arsenal Eyes Raphinha

The window has shut, but the aftershocks are still rolling through the Premier League’s biggest clubs.

Chelsea, fresh from losing Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City in a £125m deal, were offered a familiar name as a short-notice replacement. Former Tottenham and Mali midfielder Yves Bissouma, now 30 and a free agent after leaving Spurs in the summer, was put on the table as a potential stopgap at Stamford Bridge, according to reports. No deal followed, but the approach underlined just how abruptly Enzo’s move to the Etihad reshaped Chelsea’s midfield plans.

City, though, were not done ruffling feathers. Before the deadline, they joined Chelsea in showing interest in Crystal Palace’s rising star Adam Wharton. The 22-year-old England midfielder has quickly become central to Palace’s plans, and the club acted like it. Every bid that landed was turned away, with Palace refusing to cash in as the clock ticked down.

Across Europe, another creative talent is being heavily watched. Aston Villa, Manchester City and Newcastle United are all tracking Spain winger Alex Baena, 25. Atletico Madrid, however, are standing firm and have no intention of selling, shutting the door on any late-window drama around the wide man.

Wolves, meanwhile, could have banked a sizeable fee for one of their brightest prospects. Portugal Under-21 forward Mateus Mane, just 18, drew serious admiration from both Liverpool and Manchester United before the deadline. Interest was there, but Mane stayed put, leaving the sense that the next window could be very different for the teenager.

At Arsenal, the gaze is already fixed on January. The Gunners are weighing up a £68m move for Barcelona and Brazil winger Raphinha, 29. The former Leeds United man has long been admired in north London, and a winter offer is under consideration as Arsenal look for another injection of cutting edge in wide areas.

Back in north London, Tottenham are wrestling with a far more brutal decision. The club are considering paying up Richarlison’s contract to let the out-of-favour Brazil forward, 29, walk away on a free transfer. It would be a stark end to a costly and stuttering spell, and a clear signal that Spurs are ready to rip up parts of their attacking blueprint.

Everton’s deadline day carried its own what-if. The club lodged a verbal offer worth £40m plus £5m in add-ons for West Ham striker Taty Castellanos. The Hammers, though, received it too late to green-light the 27-year-old Argentine’s departure. The bid came, the window closed, and Castellanos stayed where he was.

The deals that didn’t happen now hang over the season. Who moves next, and who ends up regretting standing still?