After investing in their attack last year, Premier League side Manchester United will do the same in their midfield this summer in the aftermath of Casemiro’s departure. But fast forward to today, and the Red Devils still haven’t found a suitable replacement for the Brazilian, who’s reportedly headed to Inter Miami.
With midfield being arguably the most important position in football, the Red Devils’ Premier League 2026 odds could hinge on the summer transfer window. They qualified for the Champions League after finishing third in the English top-flight standings last term, so they cannot afford not to add more depth pieces, given their tighter schedule in 2026-27.
Speaking of transfers, Tottenham have surprisingly done well in that regard, as they’re determined to back their manager, Roberto De Zerbi. And speaking of managers, a newbie is set to lead Fulham this upcoming season after Marco Silva left Craven Cottage.
SBOTOP has you covered with the latest Premier League 2026 updates.
Manchester United poach Chelsea youngster, Ederson deal off
Manchester United need more depth because they’ll play more games next season after qualifying for the Champions League. Their top priority is adding more central midfielders, and they’ve been linked to a few, while also adding at least one more centre-back, left-back, and a backup striker.
Ever since the offseason began, the Red Devils have been linked to Mateus Fernandes, Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, Ederson, Carlos Baleba, and Aurelien Tchouameni, among others. Ederson is supposed to join Manchester United, but the Atalanta star reportedly failed his medical, so the deal is off. Instead, Michael Carrick’s side has pivoted to Andrey Santos, drawing mixed reactions from the fans and pundits.
Santos is seen as an unproven commodity because he barely played for Chelsea last season. But the 22-year-old midfielder has been on the scouts’ radar since his days at Strasbourg under Liam Rosenior. According to reports, Manchester United paid £50 million for Santos, who’s expected to assume a bigger role under Michael Carrick.
Tchouameni was also high on Manchester United’s list, given his credentials at Real Madrid. However, the Frenchman recently agreed to a new contract extension with Los Blancos, giving the fans an impression that he used Manchester United as a stalking horse to get the bag.
Productive window so far for Tottenham
After helping Tottenham maintain their top-flight status last season with a 17th-place finish, capped off by their win on the final matchday, Roberto De Zerbi will remain their manager for the foreseeable future, and the Italian tactician has received the backing he needs from the front office thus far.
The Spurs strengthened their backline with the shrewd additions of Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, and Jan Paul van Hecke for £52 million combined. They also added veteran goalkeeper Martin Dubravka on a free transfer and stole Manchester United’s targets – Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes – for a whopping £177.5 million. In return, they’ve released Yves Bissouma for free.
Despite being ahead of most Premier League teams in transfers, make no mistake, Tottenham are far from done, as they need to bolster their attack after scoring only 48 league goals last term. According to reports, the Spurs have been linked to Marcus Rashford and Francisco Trincao. Rashford is back at Old Trafford after a successful loan spell with Barcelona, while Trincao was one of Sporting’s most productive players, having recorded seven league goals and 11 assists last term.
Fulham appoint former Real Madrid boss
After finishing 11th in the Premier League table last season with 52 points, Fulham have decided to part ways with Marco Silva and appointed Alvaro Arbeloa as his replacement. The 43-year-old head coach signed a three-year deal after a brief stint with Real Madrid last term.
Arbeloa stepped up to manage Real Madrid’s first team after working within the youth ranks. The former Liverpool and West Ham United full-back coached in the final 28 games for Los Blancos, guiding them to a second-place finish in La Liga and reaching the Champions League quarter-finals, where they lost to Bayern Munich.
Before hiring Arbeloa, who received ringing endorsements from Jose Mourinho and Florentino Perez, Fulham actually wanted to keep Silva, but the Portuguese opted to return to his homeland with Benfica. The Cottagers also reportedly considered a move for former Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna, but his asking price was high.
Arbeloa will have his work cut out for him in West London, as Fulham have lost a host of players this summer, including Raul Jimenez and Harry Wilson, who joined Wolves and Leeds United.
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