Arsenal’s Deadline Day Drama, Chelsea’s €100m Plans, and Richarlison’s Turkish Move
The Premier League window is closed. The business isn’t.
After a record-breaking summer of spending, English clubs are supposed to be locked in until January. Instead, the market is still flickering in Turkey, Saudi Arabia and in the minds of recruitment teams already plotting their next move.
Arsenal miss their marquee man
Arsenal’s Deadline Day passed with barely a ripple. The club chased Julian Alvarez hard but never got close enough to prise him away, and a late move for Lautaro Martinez also hit a wall.
Gabriel Martinelli did complete his switch to Saudi Arabia on Thursday, while Andria Bartishvili has already been through his medical as the squad quietly reshapes around Mikel Arteta’s core.
The Gunners tried one last swing before the shutters came down. When the Alvarez pursuit collapsed, they turned to Inter captain Lautaro Martinez. Reports say Arsenal were ready to make a substantial offer, but Inter refused to entertain the idea.
Martinez has since confirmed Barcelona’s interest was real, yet he chose to stay in Milan. At 29, settled, winning, and wearing the armband, he sees his future with the Nerazzurri. Arsenal, who wanted a headline centre-forward, start the new season without the big-name striker they had targeted for months.
The story may not be over. Arsenal retain an interest in Vinicius Junior, Alvarez and Eli Junior Kroupi ahead of January. Vinicius was open to the idea of north London before Real Madrid tied him down on improved terms. Alvarez stayed at Atletico Madrid when his preferred Barcelona move was blocked and Arsenal could not turn his head. Bournemouth’s Kroupi, impressive before a pre-season injury, remains on the Gunners’ radar as a longer-term option.
If injuries bite, Arsenal are ready to knock again.
Chelsea rip up the midfield and start again
No one did drama like Chelsea on Deadline Day.
The club sanctioned Enzo Fernandez’s move to Manchester City for a British-record-equalling £125million, a staggering fee that ripped out the heart of their midfield and left a gaping tactical question for Xabi Alonso.
Chelsea thought they had their answer. A deal was in place for Lamine Camara, only for Monaco to pull out late and leave the Blues scrambling. The search has already shifted to January, and one name now dominates their planning: Pablo Barrios.
The Atletico Madrid midfielder has emerged as a priority target, with Chelsea considering a €100m offer when the window reopens. Alonso is understood to see the Spain international as the perfect Enzo replacement – technically sharp, press-resistant and already a key figure in Diego Simeone’s side.
Chelsea believe a huge bid could test Atletico’s resolve. Barrios would give Alonso another high-class controller as the club rebuilds on the fly after losing Fernandez and tries to shape a midfield capable of carrying them through the second half of the season.
The late flurry at Stamford Bridge did not stop there. Chelsea had a verbal agreement with Roma for Manu Kone, according to Santi Aouna, with both ownership groups directly involved. Time beat them. Roma could not secure a replacement, and Gian Piero Gasperini vetoed Kone’s exit, killing the move at the last.
Talksport also report that Everton knocked back a £65m bid from Chelsea for James Garner in the final hours. The Toffees refused to sell, insisting there was no time left to find cover.
Chelsea’s midfield has been torn apart and partially rebuilt in a matter of days. The rest will have to wait until January.
Richarlison races the clock in Turkey
For Richarlison, the clock is brutal.
Tottenham have left the Brazilian out of their Premier League squad and are trying to move him on. Everton agreed an initial £25m deal to bring him back, but the forward could not settle on personal terms. That door closed. Only Turkey remains open.
Trabzonspor have stepped up. Richarlison is in talks over a move to join Mohamed Salah there, with personal terms said to be agreed. The clubs are now haggling over a fee before the Turkish window shuts at midnight local time – 10pm in the UK.
Spurs want a clean break. Trabzonspor want a statement signing. They have taken four points from three league games and were hammered 5-0 on aggregate by Ferencvaros in the Europa League play-offs. The squad needs a jolt, and Richarlison, desperate for minutes and a reset, fits the bill.
If the deal collapses, the Brazilian faces months in limbo.
England U21s turn to Coady’s voice
Away from the market’s chaos, England’s development pathway has a new look.
Conor Coady and Paul Williams will join Lee Carsley’s England U21 coaching staff this autumn after Ashley Cole’s departure. For Coady, 33, it is a return to the youth setup after work with the MU19s earlier this year.
The former Wolves defender, who won 10 senior caps and went to Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup, brings dressing-room authority and international experience to a squad defending their European crown. Williams, with deep Premier League experience as a player, steps up from the England U15s and will continue as a senior coach developer at the FA.
The Young Lions have three Euro 2027 qualifiers left as they push to secure their place at next summer’s finals. The title defence now has fresh voices behind it.
A new leader at Chelsea Women
At Kingsmeadow, a different kind of handover.
Chelsea Women have named Erin Cuthbert as captain for the 2026/27 season, following Millie Bright’s surprise decision to retire in April. The Scot is entering her tenth year at the club and has already racked up 301 appearances.
For Cuthbert, the armband is the culmination of a decade of graft. She spoke of the honour, the weight of responsibility at a club of Chelsea’s size and her readiness to live up to that standard.
Chelsea’s next era will be built with her voice at the centre of it.
City’s Plan B and a striker tug-of-war
Even Manchester City, with Erling Haaland up front, are planning for the days he does not play.
The Independent reports that Antoine Semenyo is now viewed as City’s preferred option to lead the line whenever Haaland is unavailable or substituted. Under Enzo Maresca, Semenyo is emerging as the main alternative through the middle – a different profile, but one the manager trusts to maintain City’s attacking edge.
Elsewhere, Newcastle and Aston Villa are already circling the January market. Both clubs, say Football Insider, are keen on Bayer Leverkusen striker Christian Kofane, 20, and are ready to battle for his signature when the window reopens.
The window is shut. The plotting hasn’t stopped.
