Transfer news live: Isak makes fresh push for Liverpool, Arsenal hijack Spurs again, Chelsea’s Lopez bid, Man Utd reignite Baleba interest

Wolves have turned down an improved bid from Newcastle for their striker Jorgen Strand Larsen.

Newcastle’s £55m bid, an increase on their opening £50m offer for the Norway international, has been similarly dismissed.

Wolves do not want to sell and are open to offer Strand Larsen a new contract if he stays. He scored twice in their 3-2 win over West Ham on Tuesday night.

Crystal Palace are interested in signing Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji.

The Switzerland international was left out of City’s matchday squad ahead of Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat to Tottenham and will be allowed to depart the Etihad before the transfer deadline. Turkish club Galatasaray have also expressed an interest in the 30-year-old.

Crystal Palace have yet to submit a bid but are aware that captain Marc Guehi could yet depart Selhurst Park, with the England international heavily linked with Liverpool.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers struggled to mask his frustration over the club’s Champions League play-off preparations after a shoot-out defeat against Kairat Almaty consigned them to the Europa League.

A failure to invest in attacking options came back to haunt Celtic during a goalless 210 minutes against the team from Kazakhstan and Rodgers hinted the club had manufactured their own stress.

West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen was involved in a heated clash with a frustrated fan after his side were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Wolves on Tuesday evening.

The Hammers lost 3-2 in the second round clash at Molineux having led 2-1 with eight minutes to go, as Jorgen Strand Larsen stepped off the bench to fire in twice in a late three-minute spell.

It compounded West Ham to their third defeat of the campaign in all competitions, following a 5-1 home defeat by Chelsea and a 3-0 loss at Sunderland on the opening day.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has called for clarity over Alexander Isak’s future.

Newcastle’s hierarchy met with Isak on Monday and while head coach Howe insisted he was not party to what was said during those discussions, he admitted a decision over the Sweden international – the subject of a rejected £110m bid from the Reds – was needed sooner rather than later.

Howe said: “I’ve not been party to talks on this for a long time now. I’ve been preparing the team and giving all my energy to the players that want to play for Newcastle. I think that is where my energy is best put at the moment.

“We want clarity, we want to move forward, we want the narrative to change because we’re in the start of the season now.”

Chelsea are considering the possibility of signing Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez.

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein there hasn’t been contact between the clubs yet but the Blues have touched based with Lopez’s camp.

Chelsea are exploring attacking options amid expected exits for the remaining days of the window.

Fermin’s Barcelona contract runs through to 2029. He made 46 appearances in 2024/25 scoring eight goals and creating 10 assists.

Manchester United are considering a fresh move for Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba after the club’s 1-1 draw at Fulham on Sunday, according to The Independent’s Miguel Delaney.

The question is then how much he is really worth to United, and how much they’re willing to spend.

In order to complete his system, Ruben Amorim wants a physical, athletic runner who can carry the ball up the pitch, and a deep-lying playmaker. It has already been reported in this newsletter that he eventually wants that duo to be Baleba and Adam Wharton. The Brighton midfielder has come out well on top in the data for all of United’s requirements, but they don’t currently have anything close to either type of player.

Standing back, United now see Baleba as the potential £120m answer in the centre – although that was what £42.1m Manuel Ugarte was supposed to be, “that pin missing”.

Piero Hincapie has agreed personal terms with Arsenal and wants to move to the Gunners before next week’s deadline, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Romano adds that Arsenal will approach Leverkusen with a loan offer with obligation to buy – and says that Porto are leading contenders to sign Jakub Kiwior.

That would create the space Arsenal need to sign Hincapie and add another left-sided defender to the squad.

Alexander Isak has told Newcastle he still wants to leave after face-to-face talks.

The Telegraph reports the Swedish striker is adamant he wants to leave, with his desire to join Liverpool.

That despite the intervention of chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan, though Newcastle have not received a bid that is close to their valuation of the player after the champions’ saw an offer knocked back earlier this summer.

A Public Investment Fund [PIF] delegation and co-owner Jamie Reuben met with the player at his home on Monday, but no progress has been made over a path back to playing for Eddie Howe’s side.