Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest chase £25m midfield gem as Newcastle 'in the race' to sign new striker
Premier League transfer news latest as Crystal Palace, Everton, Newcastle and more look to push through late window moves
Gameweek 2 of the 2026/27 Premier League season has been a cracker so far, with big results and goals galore as England’s elite square off once again. Chelsea and Brighton played out a 4-3 thriller at Stamford Bridge, Nottingham Forest held Liverpool to a 2-2 draw at Anfield, and big-spending Spurs made it two losses from two after a 2-0 defeat at home to Newcastle United.
Meanwhile, Deadline Day is just around the corner, and Premier League clubs are rushing to finalise deals before the 11pm September 1st cut-off. Some high profile sagas are still to be decided - including whether Chelsea’s want-away midfield Enzo Fernandez will seal a blockbuster move to re-join his former Blues manager Enzo Maresca at Manchester City.
Another player whose future is still undecided is City’s Jack Grealish, who is widely expected to leave the club on loan again this summer. The Citizens are closing in on a move for Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo, which will likely render Grealish surplus to requirements. According to The Athletic, Everton are now pushing to sign the England international on loan.
The ex-Aston Villa star spent last season on loan with the Toffees, but missed much of it through injury. Everton and City are now said to be “in talks” over Grealish’s return, as David Moyes’ side also prepare to bring Tottenham’s Richarlison back to the club. He looks set to join soon, with Iliman Ndiaye heading in the opposition direction, although not in a swap deal.
The 3AM Verdict: Grealish got last season off to a flyer at Everton, and it was great to see a player shackled by Pep Guardiola’s rigid system at City let off the leash again. Closing in on 31 years of age, there’s no denying that Grealish is past his prime, but if he can stay fit, he’ll add some serious dynamism to a Toffees front line which can struggle to create chances.
Crystal Palace battle for Bundesliga midfielder
Over to Selhurst Park next, where Crystal Palace’s poor start to the season continued with a 4-1 loss to Manchester City last weekend. It’s two losses from two for Pierre Sage’s side, and he’ll be eager to see his squad strengthened before the window shuts. Team Talk claim that the Eagles are now in the race to sign Frankfurt central midfielder Hugo Larsson, along with Fulham.
In the story, it’s claimed that the Swede is a “major target” for Palace, and that they’ve already held talks in London with the player. He could cost around £25m - significantly less than the £40m price tag the player was believed to carry earlier this summer when Newcastle United were linked. Everton, Nottingham Forest and Brighton are also said to be keen.
The 3AM Verdict: All in, the report manages to link seven clubs with Larsson, but apparently Fulham and Palace are the two who’ve apparently made the most progress trying to sign him. The 22-year-old has already been capped 12 times by Sweden’s senior side and has bags of potential. Should Adam Wharton leave Palace next summer, Larsson could be a decent long-term replacement.
Newcastle United join race for Bundesliga striker
Last up, we’ll nip by St. James’ Park, where Newcastle United are in fine spirits after beating Spurs 2-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Manager Matthias Jaissle has revealed the club are expecting to do some late-window business, and Football Insider now suggest that Newcastle have joined the race to sign Bayer Leverkusen striker Christian Kofane.
They say that Aston Villa and Chelsea are also after the 20-year-old, who scored five goals in 29 Bundesliga outings last season. It’s said that all three clubs are now “circling” around the 20-year-old, and apparently “must be quick” if they want to get a deal done on time. There’s no suggestion of how much Kofane would cost, or whether any of the clubs mentioned have opened talks with the player or his club.
The 3AM Verdict: Now and again, this particular outlet write an article about a player where they rave about their qualities, to the extent you have to wonder if there’s an ulterior motive. Chelsea don’t need another striker, but Villa and Newcastle do, so the logic is just about there. That said, we’d be surprised if this actually came to anything on Deadline Day.