Arsenal 'in the hunt' to sign £85m box office winger as Leeds United 'monitor' top class La Liga gem
The latest Premier League transfer news including stories on Arsenal, Chelsea, Leeds United and more
The wait is finally over: the 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway in North America today, as joint-host nation Mexico take on South Africa in a blockbuster tournament opener at the Estadio Azteca. The stage is set for a hectic few weeks of international football, as a record-breaking 48 teams battle it out to be named world champions.
England still have a week to wait to get underway in their opening game against Croatia in Group L. This could work in the Three Lions’ favour, given that they’ll have more time to acclimatise to the sweltering conditions, and have an opportunity to see just how firmly FIFA’s new rule changes are imposed in tournament’s opening fixtures.
Meanwhile, Premier League clubs are hard at work getting their transfer plans finalised ahead of the window opening on Monday. Tottenham looked to be among the most organised, having already agreed deals for two free agents. They’re expected to push on and make further signings in the coming weeks, having only just avoided relegation last season.
We’ll start today’s rumours round-up at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea are preparing for a new era under incoming manager Xabi Alonso. The ex-Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen boss will oversee a significant overhaul of the squad, after they failed to secure European football for the upcoming campaign.
According to Football Insider, the club have moved to sign a soon to be out of contract attacking midfielder from Wigan Athletic: 18-year-old Harrison Bettoni. The Blues are expected to pay a “minimal compensation fee” to ensure they beat Manchester City and AC Milan to his signature, in a deal that is being heralded as somewhat of a coup.
The Stockport-born academy product broke into the Latics’ senior side last season, netting four times in 14 appearances. The report notes it isn’t clear whether he will join up with Chelsea’s youth side, or be moved out on loan to continue his development with first-team football in a division less challenging than the Premier League.
The 3AM Verdict: We’ve given Chelsea their fair share of stick for signing an enormous amount of wonderkids, but at least this isn’t one who’s going into the first team in place of a more experienced option. Given that they’ll only pay a small fee to sign him, this is a good bit of business from the Blues, who will no doubt flip the player in a couple of years after he’s made a grand total of zero first team appearances.
Arsenal ‘in the hunt’ for La Liga gem
Let’s hop aboard the Piccadilly line and head up to the Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal are still basking in the glory of their long overdue Premier League title win. They’ll be looking to make it two titles in a row next season, as both Liverpool and Manchester City face transitional periods under their new managers after Arne Slot and Pep Guardiola’s exits.
Team Talk claim that Arsenal are now “firmly in the hunt” to sign Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams. The Spanish sensation signed a huge ten-year deal with his club two years ago after intense speculation linked him with both the Gunners and Barcelona, but now it appears that he could be ready to move on, with the story suggesting he’s keen to move to the Premier League.
Liverpool, Manchester United and Man City are all namechecked in the same report as clubs with similar interest in Williams, who scored the opening goal in Spain’s 2-1 Euro 2024 final win over England. There is no mention of a potential transfer fee, but it is widely known that the player’s release clause sits at around £85m.
The 3AM Verdict: The Gunners have been linked with about fifty wingers already this summer, as is expected during ‘silly season’. We’ve not seen much else in the way of Williams to Arsenal rumours yet, and even if they were interested, he’s likely to be fully focused on the World Cup just now. One to revisit next month, perhaps.
Leeds United ‘monitor’ La Liga centre-back
Lastly, we’ll nip up to Elland Road, where Leeds United managed to secure their Premier League status for another year, bucking the troubling trend of promoted sides getting booted straight back down to the Championship. The Whites are expected to be busy in the coming weeks, with a left-sided centre-back high on their list of requirements.
According to reports from Spain, via Sport Witness, Leeds are “continuing to monitor” Real Betis defender Natan, ahead of a potential bid once the transfer window opens. It is noted that the club are looking for a “top price” to sell the talented Brazilian, having knocked back a loan-to-buy offer from West Ham United last season.
The report goes on claim that Betis, who will play Champions League football next season, will demand close to £40m for the 25-year-old. It’s said that due to the non-EU player squad restrictions in La Liga, Natan is likely to be moved on to give the club more flexibility in terms of who they can recruit this summer.
The 3AM Verdict: Would Leeds break their transfer record for a defender with no Premier League experience? It does seem a little far fetched, but stranger things have happened. Natan also only has two and a half seasons of top tier European football to his name, having spent a couple of them with Betis and half a campaign at Napoli in Serie A. At the price quoted, it all feels a little bit too risky.