Liverpool's Winger Hunt Continues as Arsenal and United Make Moves

The Premier League has kicked off, but the market refuses to calm down. With just over a week left in the window, the biggest clubs in England are still swinging hard.

Liverpool’s winger hunt goes global

Andoni Iraola has been blunt since walking through the doors at Anfield: Liverpool need wingers. Urgently.

Two bids for Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh have already been thrown back in their faces, the latest a hefty £60m offer after an initial £50m was rejected. Brighton are holding their line, and Liverpool, still searching for a long-term heir to Mohamed Salah, are being forced to look elsewhere.

Curtis Jones has gone, a €30m move to Inter Milan confirmed, with a further €5m in achievable add-ons and a 10 per cent sell-on clause baked into the deal. He had just a year left on his contract, and while Iraola wanted to keep him, the midfielder made it clear he wanted out. Liverpool cashed in rather than risk losing him for nothing.

The reshaping of the squad is now focused on the flanks. Liverpool would ideally like two wide forwards. Minteh remains a prime target, but the numbers are climbing and the door is not yet open. Bradley Barcola is the other name on the board, but Paris Saint‑Germain’s stance is brutal: £145m or nothing. That figure has left a huge gap between the clubs.

So Liverpool have widened the search. A move for Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward Endrick has been floated, and the Times reports that the Reds have now made an enquiry. The 20‑year‑old spent last season at Lyon and was only a squad player for Brazil at the World Cup. With Jose Mourinho now in charge at Madrid and Endrick’s role unclear, Liverpool sense an opportunity if other avenues stay blocked.

Arsenal pivot after Vinicius blow

North London is just as busy. Arsenal have already landed Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa in a £51m deal, their fifth signing of the summer, but Mikel Arteta is not done.

The manager has long earmarked the left side of his attack as a position to upgrade. The dream signing was Vinicius Jr. The Brazilian’s decision to stay at Real Madrid forced a rethink and pushed Arsenal back into the market.

Attention has now turned to Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz. The 21‑year‑old Turkey international is high on Arsenal’s list as they look at whether a deal is possible before the window closes. The club had been ready to move for Bournemouth’s Junior Kroupi, only for injury to derail that plan. Kroupi remains an option for January, but Arteta would prefer not to wait.

Konsa, meanwhile, has already started talking like a cornerstone of Arsenal’s defence. “I know he loves defenders who can really defend and defenders who are calm on the ball. His style suits me so I can't wait to get going,” he said of Arteta. Calling it a “proud moment” to join “one of the best teams in the world”, Konsa underlined his ambition: “I'm here to win. I'll do everything in my power to continue bringing success to this club.” He could face his former side Villa as early as next week.

There is even a wilder idea on the table. Reports in France suggest Arsenal are considering Victor Osimhen, now at Galatasaray. The 27‑year‑old would only become realistic if he drops his wage demands, and with Kai Havertz, Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Jesus already at the club, it would be a shock move. But Osimhen has been linked with the Premier League for years. The question is whether Arsenal are prepared to rip up their attacking hierarchy to make room.

United close on Baleba, Spurs move for Savinho

At Old Trafford, Manchester United have chosen their midfield signing. A deal is in place with Brighton for Carlos Baleba at £70m, ending a pursuit that began last summer. The 20‑year‑old is set to undergo a medical this weekend, with Sky Sports reporting a five‑year contract and a sell‑on clause for Brighton.

The timing is deliberate. United open their Premier League campaign against Hull at lunchtime, and the Baleba news drops as a statement of intent for Michael Carrick’s first season in charge. The club wanted this tied up before the serious football starts.

Tottenham are making noise too. They have agreed a deal to sign winger Savinho from Manchester City for an initial £75m, a bold fee for a wide forward who has impressed enough to tempt Spurs into a major outlay. Omar Marmoush is tipped to follow the Brazilian into north London as Ange Postecoglou reshapes his attack.

City, for their part, are already working on the response. They have identified Brazilian winger Allan as a possible replacement for Savinho as they juggle departures and arrivals in a window that has already seen major movement across Europe.

Chelsea brace themselves, City watch Enzo

Chelsea’s summer has been dominated by one name: Enzo Fernandez. The midfielder was booed on his return to Stamford Bridge after a chaotic few months that included a red card and defeat in the World Cup final. He has previously indicated he would be open to leaving the club.

New Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca knows him well and is a big admirer. City have been linked with a move, but Chelsea tried to take control by imposing a deadline: 5pm on Friday 14 August for any bids. That time has passed without an acceptable offer, and the club now expect Fernandez to stay.

Xabi Alonso has said Fernandez is “training really well” ahead of the new season, yet City could still test Chelsea’s resolve late in the window. A bid close to the £120m Chelsea want would ask a serious question of the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea also have their own decisions to make in attack. Aston Villa are preparing a bid for Nicolas Jackson, valued at around £65m. The Senegal striker shone at the World Cup after a disappointing loan spell with Bayern Munich, and Unai Emery is keen to add him to his squad. Atletico Madrid, put off by the price, appear to have stepped away despite their own lofty £150m valuation of Julian Alvarez, who remains on the radar of Barcelona and Arsenal.

The deals still dangling

Across the continent, the dominoes are lined up but not yet falling. Barcelona’s capture of Rodri and high‑profile moves for Morgan Rogers, Elliot Anderson and Bruno Guimaraes have already shaped the summer, yet several huge deals remain in play as the 1 September deadline looms.

Barcola to Liverpool, Alvarez to Arsenal, Fernandez to City – these are the names being passed around boardrooms as executives stare at the calendar and weigh risk against ambition.

The league has started. The noise in the grounds is back. But in the corridors behind the dugouts, the real game of the next week is simple: who blinks first?