Chelsea Weigh Bissouma Option Amid Transfer Fallout

The window has slammed shut, but the transfer stories around the Premier League’s biggest clubs are still crackling.

Chelsea offered Bissouma after Enzo exit

Chelsea’s midfield reshuffle did not end with Enzo Fernandez’s record move to Manchester City.

The London club were offered former Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma as a potential replacement for the Argentina international, according to reports. The ex-Mali star, now 30 and a free agent after leaving Spurs in the summer, has been put forward as a ready-made option to plug the gap left by Enzo’s £125m switch to the Etihad.

Whether Chelsea act on that proposal will say plenty about how urgently they feel the need to reinforce in January.

Wharton interest rebuffed by Crystal Palace

One player who did not move, despite serious noise, was Adam Wharton.

Manchester City and Chelsea were among the clubs to show interest in the Crystal Palace and England midfielder before the deadline. Palace, though, stood firm. Every bid was rejected as the south London side chose security over a late cash-in on the 22-year-old, who has rapidly become central to their plans.

Big clubs circled. Palace shut the door.

Baena on radar, Atletico stand firm

Elsewhere in Spain, Alex Baena’s name is rising fast on Premier League recruitment lists.

Aston Villa, Manchester City and Newcastle United are all monitoring the Spain winger, 25, but Atletico Madrid have no intention of selling, according to reports. With multiple English suitors hovering, Atletico’s stance is clear: Baena is not on the market.

For now, at least.

Wolves fend off interest in teenage forward

Wolves also resisted a late push for one of their brightest young prospects.

Portugal Under-21 forward Mateus Mane could have left Molineux before the window closed, with Liverpool and Manchester United both admirers of the 18-year-old. Wolves kept their man, aware that serious interest from two giants usually signals a player on the brink of a breakout.

Arsenal line up Raphinha bid

Attention is already drifting towards January, and Arsenal are preparing to be busy.

The Gunners are considering a £68m offer for Barcelona winger Raphinha, 29, as they look to add another high-end attacking option. The Brazil international, long linked with a Premier League return, remains a live target as Arsenal chase more firepower for the second half of the season.

If Barcelona are forced to listen, that could become one of the winter’s defining sagas.

Tottenham ready to cut ties with Richarlison?

Across north London, Tottenham are weighing a far more brutal solution.

Richarlison, 29 and increasingly on the fringes, could be allowed to walk away on a free transfer. Spurs are considering paying up the Brazil forward’s contract to clear space in the squad and on the wage bill, according to reports.

For a player signed as a headline act, that would be a stark, unforgiving ending.

Everton’s late move for Castellanos falls short

Everton tried to land a striker on deadline day and came up just too late.

The club made a verbal offer worth £40m plus £5m in add-ons to West Ham for Argentine forward Taty Castellanos, 27. The Hammers, though, did not sanction the move. The approach arrived too close to the deadline for West Ham to push through an exit.

So the window closes with deals missed, bids rejected and big decisions delayed. The money, and the tension, will be back in January.