Leicester: Matt O’Riley
Leicester have cash to burn following the £30m sale of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to Chelsea but now they need to sign a midfielder to replace the 25-year-old. They have only signed one midfielder this summer: the inexperienced teenager Michael Golding. Given the funds at their disposal, Matt O’Riley should be a viable target for the Foxes. The Denmark international has been linked with West Ham and Chelsea but the new Leicester manager Steve Cooper should go all out to sign him. The 23-year-old shone for Celtic last season, scoring 18 goals and providing 13 assists.
Liverpool: Martín Zubimendi
Liverpool are targeting Martín Zubimendi. With Mikel Merino potentially on his way to Arsenal, Real Sociedad will be reluctant to lose another key central midfielder – but Zubimendi is rumoured to have a release clause of £51m. The 25-year-old was superb in the Euro 2024 final, when he came on at half-time for the injured Rodri and filled in brilliantly as Spain beat England 2-1. Since the start of the 2022-23 season, he has won possession in the midfield third more times (235) than any other player in La Liga.
Manchester City: Eberechi Eze
Manchester City’s decision to sell Julián Álvarez to Atlético Madrid leaves a void on their frontline. Pep Guardiola has an abundance of talented youngsters but he may use this opportunity to sign another attacker. Eberechi Eze was linked with a move to the club last summer, but the deal did not materialise as City failed to reach an agreement with Crystal Palace. Oliver Glasner will be especially keen to keep Eze following Michael Olise’s move to Bayern, though they would be powerless to stop the England international from leaving should his £60m release clause be met.
Manchester United: Sander Berge
Erik ten Hag says Manchester United are “really eager to do business and make deals”. The club are keen to sign a new midfielder to partner Kobbie Mainoo, but PSG have been reluctant to part with Manuel Ugarte. Sander Berge could prove a useful fallback option. The towering 26-year-old would not have the same stardust but he could be a shrewd capture. Yes, he has played for relegated clubs in the last two seasons – Sheffield United and then Burnley – but the Norwegian has an impressive knack of winning back the ball and carrying it up the pitch. He may not excite supporters, but Berge could be a good fit in Ten Hag’s 4-2-3-1 setup.
Newcastle: Marc Guéhi
Another player who could be leaving Crystal Palace. Newcastle are confident of signing Marc Guéhi for around £60m and he is keen to move. Newcastle have options at the back in the form of Sven Botman and Fabian Schär, but their lack of strength in depth proved costly last season, particularly at the heart of the defence. Guéhi was one of England’s star performers at Euro 2024 and his stock has risen significantly in recent months. The 24-year-old is not the most dominant in the air, but his distribution is excellent. Signing him would also show Eddie Howe that the club mean business at a time when he is one of the favourites to replace Gareth Southgate as the England manager.
Nottingham Forest: Chuba Akpom
Nottingham Forest have signed the goalkeeper Carlos Miguel and centre-back Nikola Milenkovic to rectify their defensive issues, but they still have weaknesses up front. Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi both missed spells of last season with injuries so it’s no surprise to see Forest being linked with another forward this summer. They could do a lot worse than luring the former Middlesbrough player Chuba Akpom back to England. He was not considered first choice by Ajax last season but he made the most of his time on the pitch, scoring 11 goals and providing three assists from just 1,042 minutes of game time. If the new Ajax head coach Francesco Farioli is not going to give Akpom more opportunities, Forest should swoop.
Southampton: Aaron Ramsdale
While Southampton have a couple of problem areas to address before the transfer window closes, the most pressing concern is between the sticks. With Gavin Bazunu sidelined until next year owing to an achilles issue, Saints go into the season with Alex McCarthy as first choice, but he struggles with the ball at his feet. With that in mind, Russell Martin may look for a new shot-stopper. They could do a lot worse than Aaron Ramsdale, who rarely let Arsenal down and was talented enough to earn five England caps. Having lost his spot to David Raya at Arsenal, Ramsdale may be on the move. He deserves regular game time and would be an astute signing.
Tottenham: Dominic Solanke
Spurs were the lowest scorers in the top seven last season despite finishing the campaign fourth for shots. They have been quiet in the market but are still expected to make moves this month, with Dominic Solanke seemingly their top target. The 26-year-old is coming off a very impressive season in which he scored 19 goals, a remarkable total for a Bournemouth player. He also won back possession in the attacking third 29 times, the 15th highest in the league. His goals and workrate would make him a fine fit to lead the line for Ange Postecoglou’s side.
West Ham: Aaron Wan-Bissaka
West Ham have been active in the transfer market, bringing in Max Kilman, Crysencio Summerville and Niclas Füllkrug. The Argentinian defensive midfielder Guido Rodríguez has also signed. Their attention should now turn to right-back. Having failed to lure Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich, Aaron Wan-Bissaka should be the next priority for the Hammers. Mazraoui has been linked with United so, if he moves to Old Trafford, Wan-Bissaka would be deemed surplus to requirements by Ten Hag. A return to London could be on the cards for the 26-year-old, who would be an upgrade on Vladimir Coufal.
Wolves: Cristhian Mosquera
Wolves made £40m from selling Kilman to West Ham and may look to use those funds to buy another centre-back. Cristhian Mosquera is coming off a breakout season with Valencia – he made the 17th most interceptions (36) in La Liga. The 20-year-old, who has represented Spain at various youth levels, recently extended his contract until 2026, but looks like a solid investment. Wolves could put the money raised from Kilman’s exit to good use by landing the youngster.
Source: theguardian.com
