With just over a week remaining before the summer transfer window slams shut, Premier League clubs are scrambling to finalize a flurry of deals, headlined by Manchester United's pursuit of Carlos Baleba and Arsenal's continued interest in Julian Alvarez.
United have reached an agreement with Brighton worth an initial £65million, rising to £70million with add-ons, for the Cameroon midfielder. Baleba, a long-standing target at Old Trafford, is expected to undergo a medical this weekend before signing a five-year contract that reportedly includes a sell-on clause for the Seagulls. He becomes United's third midfield addition of the summer, joining Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, though an ankle ligament injury sustained in pre-season means his debut under Michael Carrick will likely be delayed until late September.
Arsenal, meanwhile, kicked off their title defense in style, thrashing newly-promoted Coventry City 3-0 with goals from Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard. The victory came shortly after the club confirmed the £51-55million signing of England defender Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa, their fifth capture of the summer. Konsa expressed excitement about working under Mikel Arteta, saying: