Manchester United and Newcastle Target Neco Williams as Arsenal Pursue Tzolis

The Premier League’s biggest operators are back circling the same pool of talent, and this time the spotlight has swung to Nottingham Forest’s Neco Williams and Club Brugge creator Christos Tzolis.

United and Newcastle test Forest’s resolve

Neco Williams has quietly become one of the most reliable full-backs in the division. Now the quiet is over.

Manchester United and Newcastle United have both registered firm interest in the 25-year-old Wales international, according to the BBC, after a season in which he featured in 37 of Forest’s 38 league matches and showed he can operate on either flank. That sort of durability and versatility is gold dust in a league where managers chop systems and shapes weekly.

Forest know it. They are trying to slam the door before it properly opens, working on an improved contract at The City Ground in the hope of keeping their modern full-back prototype out of the clutches of two clubs with Champions League ambitions and deep pockets.

For United, the move fits a broader pattern: younger, athletic, technically comfortable defenders to reshape the squad under Michael Carrick. For Newcastle, it’s about depth and quality on both sides of the defence as they try to stay in the top-four conversation. One player, two very different projects — and Forest right in the middle, trying not to blink.

Arsenal line up Tzolis as Trossard insurance

Across north London, Arsenal are again moving early.

The Sun reports that the Gunners are pushing ahead with a deal for Christos Tzolis, the Club Brugge attacking midfielder who has rebuilt his reputation in Belgium after a brief, bruising spell in the Premier League with Norwich City in 2021-22. Now 24, Tzolis is being lined up as a potential replacement for Leandro Trossard, who has been linked with Besiktas.

Talks are said to be advancing over a fee in the region of £35 million, a price that reflects both his current form and the premium on creative players who can operate across the front line. Arsenal see him as part of a refreshed attacking mix rather than the end of their business.

Crucially, a move for Tzolis is not expected to derail their pursuit of Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, who remains one of their key targets. It points to a summer in which Mikel Arteta wants options, not just cover — multiple profiles for multiple game states, rather than a straight like-for-like swap.

United turn to Manu Koné as midfield priority

At Old Trafford, the rebuild runs straight through the centre of the pitch.

TEAMtalk reports that Manchester United are lining up a move for AS Roma midfielder Manu Koné, with the 25-year-old emerging as a leading option for Carrick’s new-look engine room. United are said to view him as a better fit than Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga, a significant endorsement of Koné’s profile and adaptability.

Roma are not expected to let him go cheaply. An offer in the region of £50 million is believed to be required, and United will not have a free run at him. Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester City have all been contacted by his representatives and are monitoring the situation.

If United want Koné to be the heartbeat of their next midfield, they may have to move with a decisiveness that has too often been missing in recent windows.

Europe’s elite queue up for Elijah Upson

One of the most intriguing stories of the window involves a player who has yet to make his senior breakthrough.

Elijah Upson, 18, son of former Premier League defender Matthew Upson, has left Tottenham Hotspur after turning down a professional contract and ending an 11-year stay at the club. The Daily Mail reports that Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Manchester City are among a cluster of clubs chasing the free agent centre-back.

Upson has already visited Arsenal’s training ground and is expected to take his time before choosing his next step. Everton, Borussia Dortmund, and Monaco are also in the frame. When a teenager walks away from a top-six academy and half of Europe’s elite line up for a conversation, it usually means one thing: they think he’s worth the wait.

Bouaddi at the centre of a nine-figure tug-of-war

If any transfer underlines how inflated the market for young midfielders has become, it’s Ayyoub Bouaddi.

Football Insider reports that Liverpool and Arsenal remain locked in talks with Lille over the 18-year-old Morocco international. Both English clubs are understood to be willing to include a one-season loan-back clause, allowing Lille to keep Bouaddi for another year while banking a huge fee.

That fee will not be small. Any deal is still expected to demand a figure close to £100 million — a staggering sum for a teenager, but one that reflects the desperation at the top of the Premier League to secure the next great midfield anchor before rivals do.

Liverpool view Bouaddi as a possible successor to Curtis Jones, who has been linked with Inter Milan, while Manchester City and other top clubs are also monitoring the situation. When a player draws that kind of crowd, stalemate rarely lasts long.

Done deals: City move early, Elversberg land Campbell

Amid the swirl of rumours, some business is already signed and sealed.

Manchester City have brought Northern Ireland international goalkeeper Pierce Charles back into the fold. The 20-year-old, who came through City’s academy before joining Sheffield Wednesday in 2021, has returned to the champions and immediately been sent on loan to Queens Park Rangers. It’s a classic City move: secure the asset, find him minutes elsewhere, and reassess in a year.

In Germany, Bundesliga newcomers Elversberg have completed the signing of American forward Cole Campbell from Borussia Dortmund. The 20-year-old Houston-born attacker has agreed a four-year contract running to June 2030, a long-term bet on a player looking for regular top-flight football after time in Dortmund’s system.

The rest of the market: Modric, Romero and a flurry of chasers

The rumour mill beyond England is spinning just as fast.

In Italy, Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Juventus striker Jonathan David intends to stay at the club despite not being in their plans for next season, a stand-off that will need resolving before the window closes.
Corriere dello Sport says free agent Luka Modric is close to signing a one-year deal to return to AC Milan, a remarkable twist for a midfielder still commanding interest at the highest level.
Manchester United are in advanced talks with goalkeeper Karl Darlow after his exit from Leeds United, with The Sun suggesting a deal could be confirmed as early as Friday.
Wrexham, still ambitious and restless, are interested in Everton goalkeeper Mark Travers, according to Football Insider.
Curtis Jones is open to a move to Inter Milan, reports Gazzetta dello Sport, but Liverpool want around €40 million if they are to sanction his departure.
Tottenham defender Cristian Romero is drawing interest from LaLiga and Serie A, with previous links to Atlético Madrid resurfacing, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Sky Sports reports that Freiburg’s Switzerland international Johan Manzambi has agreed personal terms with Newcastle, who are closing in on a £49 million deal for the attacking midfielder.
Borussia Dortmund see FC Köln winger Said El-Mala as a possible replacement for Barcelona-linked Karim Adeyemi, though Florian Plettenberg notes they would seek a lower fee than the current €50 million valuation.
AC Milan are assessing Strasbourg right-back Guela Doue, says Nicolo Schira.
Tottenham are considering a reunion with Paris Saint-Germain striker Randal Kolo Muani, according to Tuttosport.
Crystal Palace and Fulham have joined Leeds in the race for Southampton midfielder Shea Charles, reports Ben Jacobs.
Sassuolo defender Tarik Muharemovic is on the radar of two Premier League clubs, with an offer of €40 million believed to be required, says Nicolo Schira.
Aston Villa could challenge Leeds for Parma and Japan international goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, according to TEAMtalk.

The names are piling up, the numbers are climbing, and the window is only just warming up. As the weeks tick by, the question for the Premier League’s heavyweights is simple: who strikes first with conviction, and who gets left paying a premium for what’s left?