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There was a time when a World Cup would effectively put the summer transfer window on pause.

Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Gary Lineker made Barcelona wait until after the 1986 World Cup, even after they had attempted to issue a “now or never” ultimatum to his agent, delivered by phone to his hotel in Mexico.

There were no such complications with Barcelona signing their latest England star, Anthony Gordon, who joined the Spanish champions from Newcastle United for €80million (£69.3m; $93.2m) before flying out to meet his international team-mates.

Tottenham have been decisive in their pre-tournament moves too. They have signed experienced Premier League duo Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi, from Liverpool and Bournemouth respectively, as free agents — and their continued activity suggests they are far from done.

Spurs got out in front of the competition to sign Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton & Hove Albion for £52million ($68.6m). Sporting a nasty black eye — cue the Spurs injury jokes — sustained in their 2-2 draw with Japan, his World Cup debut, Van Hecke completed his medical in Kansas City, where the Netherlands are based.

Like Robertson and Senesi, Van Hecke is a player Tottenham admired long before Roberto De Zerbi took the reins on March 31. With one year remaining on his contract, Van Hecke, 26, represented an opportunity to sign a player with Premier League and elite international experience, approaching his prime, for less than their typical market value. De Zerbi, with whom he shares a “really strong connection” after working together at Brighton, provided the final flourish.

After the January window, sporting director Johan Lange spoke publicly about the intention to pursue “the right players” who could help the team’s long-term ambitions, rather than be influenced by short-term fixes.

It was a decision that came agonisingly close to incurring the immeasurable financial and reputational costs of relegation. Ultimately, it may pay dividends. Tottenham have long had the potential to conduct themselves like a ‘big’ Premier League club in the market, and their swift and successful pursuit of Van Hecke is an indication that they are getting out ahead of their competition to secure primary targets.

While there has been some suggestion that such a fee for a player with one year left on his contract is hardly outstanding business, Tottenham are not in a position to haggle.

Indecision in the market led to successive 17th-place finishes, but this could be the type of deal Spurs could shave millions off in the future if signings like these help to bring them back into Europe and strengthen their negotiating position.

Including Pedro Porro’s contract extension, it’s Tottenham’s fourth defensive signing of the summer and signals De Zerbi’s intention to revamp the squad. After breaking through at Brighton under the Italian in 2023, Van Hecke is considered among the best ball-playing centre-backs in the Premier League.

Last season, Van Hecke led the English top flight in line-breaking passes (457), a highly encouraging feat, considering Tottenham’s protracted struggles in building central possession through the thirds.

As a right-sided central defender, he played an essential role in the build-up for Fabian Hurzeler’s side, as he was often tasked with zipping passes into midfielders and forwards. And with typical first-choice right-sided centre-back Jurrien Timber failing to recover in time from a groin injury, Van Hecke has continued firing passes through the lines for the Netherlands at the World Cup. Here are three examples of the centre-back finding Tijjani Reijnders with a reverse pass through Japan’s midfield.

In this aspect, he appears a like-for-like replacement for Cristian Romero, who could be on his way after a disappointing season as captain. But as defenders, they profile quite differently.

Romero is as front-footed as defenders come, looking to engage at the point of contact wherever possible. Van Hecke is more comfortable maintaining his position on the line, likely due to a visible lack of recovery pace, though he ranked in the top five in the league for interceptions (47) last term.

And while he is profiled as a “channel defender” on our player dashboards, reflecting his capacity and tendency to move into wide areas, he can struggle as a one-v-one defender when isolated.

Here’s an example of Van Hecke being beaten fairly easily in the box by West Ham United right-back Oliver Scarles.

And another instance where he allows Burnley winger Loum Tchaouna a chance to cross, though it was late in the game and there is no questioning his commitment to block the delivery.

Given Porro’s tendency to push higher up and into more central areas, these may be situations Van Hecke finds himself in regularly at Spurs. It will be up to De Zerbi to devise a system to offer protection.

Van Hecke and fellow Dutchman Micky van de Ven is an interesting partnership, given that both seem more comfortable as covering defenders. Senesi, whose instinct is to win the ball high, complements his game more naturally, as does Kevin Danso, who ended the season excellently and should not be overlooked.

With or without Romero, Tottenham’s early-window business has provided De Zerbi with the players he needs to execute in the first phase of play. The challenge now is to secure their in-demand targets to ensure they are as formidable in midfield and attack.

Brighton & Hove Albion have made an improved offer for Tottenham Hotspur and Croatia defender Luka Vuskovic.

Sources briefed on the deal have indicated that this latest offer from Brighton will still fall short of Spurs’ valuation of the 19-year-old.

The south-coast side previously made a £30million ($39.7m) bid for Vuskovic, who is open to the move, believing Brighton have shown themselves to be a good developing ground for talent.

Vuskovic is also the subject of strong interest from leading clubs elsewhere in Europe after a strong season in the Bundesliga.

Brighton’s interest in Vuskovic — who is regarded as one of the best emerging defenders in world football — comes with Spurs having completed the signing of fellow centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke from the Amex Stadium club.

The Athletic reported earlier this month that despite catching attention from clubs around Europe, Vuskovic wanted to wait until after the World Cup to decide his next steps.

Vuskovic is part of Croatia’s squad in the United States, Canada and Mexico. He has been capped six times for the senior team, starting in their opening group-stage defeat by England.

Vuskovic’s contract at Tottenham does not expire until 2030. He agreed to move from Hajduk Split for £12m ($16m) in September 2023 and officially joined Spurs when he turned 18.

He has yet to make a first-team appearance for Tottenham, but played 30 times on loan at Hamburg during the 2025-26 campaign. He recorded six goals and provided one assist in 28 Bundesliga appearances.

If Vuskovic leaves, Spurs can only blame themselves

Analysis by Tottenham correspondent Jay Harris

Spurs will be without European football next season and if Vuskovic is not going to be the first-choice right-sided centre-back, there is certainly an argument it would be more beneficial to temporarily send him away. Vuskovic has spent the last three seasons on loan, though, and might feel the time is right to settle.

The parallels with Arsenal’s William Saliba are obvious. Saliba went on loan to Saint-Etienne, Nice and Marseille before breaking into Arsenal’s starting XI under Mikel Arteta. The difference here is that Spurs’ financial situation might force them to let Vuskovic go — Spurs hold some of the highest transfer debt in football.

It is understandable if Vuskovic has reservations about staying with Spurs. They have had four different head coaches since he initially agreed to join them. Brighton finished eighth and will be competing in the Europa Conference League next season while Spurs narrowly avoided relegation. Mathys Tel, Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall’s stop-start development could be another concern.

If Vuskovic decides it is better for his career to leave Spurs, then they only have themselves to blame.

The 2026-27 Premier League season will get underway on Friday, August 21, when champions Arsenal host Coventry City.

Arsenal begin their title defence at the Emirates against Frank Lampard’s newly-promoted side, while Manchester City start their new post-Pep Guardiola era at home to Bournemouth.

Coventry are back in the Premier League after 25 years away, and fellow promoted side Hull City are pitted against Manchester United. Ipswich Town, who also sealed a return to the top flight, face Sunderland.

In the highlight fixture of the opening weekend, Newcastle United and Liverpool meet at St James’ Park on Sunday, August 23.

Premier League 2026-27 opening weekend fixtures

All times BST

Friday, August 21

Saturday, August 22

Sunday, August 23

Monday, August 24

Premier League 2026-27 final day fixtures

All times BST

Sunday, May 30

Premier League fixtures by club

Click or tap on the team names below to see a full fixture list for your Premier League club.

Arsenal

Aston Villa

Bournemouth

Brentford

Brighton & Hove Albion

Chelsea

Coventry City

Crystal Palace

Everton

Fulham

Hull City

Ipswich Town

Leeds United

Liverpool

Manchester City

Manchester United

Newcastle United

Nottingham Forest

Tottenham Hotspur

Sunderland

Broadcast picks

Premier League champions Arsenal will raise the curtain on the 2026-27 season at the Emirates Stadium on August 21, when they host newly-promoted Coventry City, managed by former Chelsea and England midfielder Frank Lampard, on Friday night.

Championship play-off winners Hull City will host Manchester United in their first Premier League match since 2017, with the game kicking off at 12.30pm on Saturday, August 22. Brentford then host Tottenham Hotspur in an all-London contest at 5.30pm.

The first Sunday of the season will feature Manchester City’s first league match since Pep Guardiola’s departure, with Bournemouth visiting the Etihad Stadium at 2pm on August 23. Europa League champions Aston Villa begin their campaign at the same time with a trip to Brighton & Hove Albion. Andoni Iraola then begins his tenure as Liverpool manager with a trip to Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United at 4.30pm.

The opening weekend concludes with a west London derby on Monday night, as Chelsea travel to Fulham on August 24.

Key derby dates

North London derbies:

Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal — Saturday, December 5

Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur — Saturday, May 1

Manchester derbies:

Manchester United v Manchester City — Saturday, September 12

Manchester City v Manchester United — Saturday, March 20

Merseyside derbies:

Everton v Liverpool — Saturday, November 28

Liverpool v Everton — Saturday, January 30

Tyne-Wear derbies:

Newcastle United v Sunderland — Saturday, December 5

Sunderland v Newcastle United — Saturday, May 1

North-west derbies:

Liverpool v Manchester United — Saturday, November 21

Manchester United v Liverpool — Saturday, January 23

Key dates for the 2026-27 season

The summer transfer window officially opened on Monday, June 15 and closes on Tuesday, September 1 at 11pm (BST).

Clubs will have a further opportunity to do business during the winter transfer window, which will open on Friday, January 1 and close on Friday, February 1 at 11pm (GMT).

The season begins with the 2026 Community Shield between league champions Arsenal and FA Cup winners Manchester City on Sunday, August 16.

The 11 Premier League teams not participating in European competition will enter the Carabao Cup at the second round, while the nine teams who qualified for Europe will join in round three. These are set to take place in August.

Premier League teams will enter the FA Cup at the third round stage, which takes place across the weekend of January 9 to 10.

The 2026-27 Premier League season will conclude on Sunday, May 30, 2027.

Those in the Champions League will begin their European campaigns between September 8-10, following the league phase draw on August 27. The 2026-27 Champions League final takes place on June 5, 2027 at Atletico Madrid’s Estadio Metropolitano.

The Europa League ‘league phase’ begins on September 16, with the draw taking place on August 28. The final will be played at Deutsche Bank Park, formerly known as Waldstadion, the home of Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany on May 26, 2027.

The Conference League, meanwhile, commences its league phase on October 15. Brighton will have to go through a two-legged play-off on August 20 and 27 in order to make it into the hat for the draw on August 28. The final will take place at Besiktas Park on June 2.

Tottenham Hotspur will begin their Premier League campaign away to Brentford.

Last season saw the north London side escape relegation by only two points, and have three different head coaches at the helm.

Roberto De Zerbi replaced Igor Tudor in March, after Thomas Frank had left earlier in the season, and has already added defenders Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke to his squad, with Pedro Porro having signed a new contract.

Their first test against a fellow Big Six side will come on away at Manchester United on the weekend of October 10-11. The first north London derby against rivals and Premier League champions Arsenal will take place on the first weekend of December at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, before the reverse fixture on the weekend of May 1-2.

They end the season away to Aston Villa.

Tottenham’s Premier League fixtures 2026-27

All times BST/GMT

A brutal ending to the season

Analysis by The Athletic’s Elias Burke

After starting and ending their season with a home fixture last season, it’s perhaps understandable that they should be on the road for the opening and climax in 2026-27.

They won’t have far to travel for their first game of the season, taking on Brentford in west London. Improving on last season’s trip to the Gtech Community Stadium shouldn’t be too hard, with Spurs and Brentford playing out a 0-0 draw that was surely a contender for the worst game played by any team, in any league, anywhere in the world last term.

Then it’s three home matches in their next four, which should, in theory, be a nice opportunity to put some points on the board, though the opposition is tricky: Newcastle (H), Nottingham Forest (A), Everton (H) and Aston Villa (H).

Tottenham have a dire record at Stamford Bridge, but Spurs fans will surely be getting out the red pens to circle their first fierce London derby on October 24-25. But they will have to wait until December 5 for the big one, the North London Derby, which will be played in front of a home crowd.

Spurs end 2026 with a two-game home stand against Bournemouth on Boxing Day, followed by Brighton on December 30. While a trip to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City is a cruel way to bring in 2027, a five-game run up to early February, where Spurs face Fulham, Leeds United, Crystal Palace, Sunderland and Ipswich Town, could be an opportunity to build momentum for the second half of the season.

And they might need it too, with a brutal run of fixtures to close. Spurs’ last five games of the season include trips to Arsenal and Aston Villa (on the final day) and home fixtures against Chelsea and Manchester United. An away match against Coventry City, which is sandwiched between those four matches, may be a welcome one, though Spurs only won two of their six games against promoted sides last season.

Key dates for the 2026-27 season

The summer transfer window officially opened on Monday, June 15 and closes on Tuesday, September 1 at 11pm (BST).

Clubs will have a further opportunity to do business during the winter transfer window, which will open on Friday, January 1 and close on Friday, February 1 at 11pm (GMT).

The season begins with the 2026 Community Shield between league champions Arsenal and FA Cup winners Manchester City on Sunday, August 16.

The 11 Premier League teams not participating in European competition will enter the Carabao Cup at the second round, while the nine teams who qualified for Europe will join in round three. These are set to take place in August.

Premier League teams will enter the FA Cup at the third round stage, which takes place across the weekend of January 9 to 10.

The 2026-27 Premier League season will conclude on Sunday, May 30, 2027.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a move for West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes, while they remain keen on signing Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali.

Spurs head coach Roberto De Zerbi is pushing to sign Fernandes, 21, who West Ham have set an asking price of £80million ($106.7m).

Tottenham have also held talks with the camp of Newcastle’s Tonali but face competition from other clubs including Manchester City, who are serious contenders for the Italian’s signature.

Manchester United have held talks over a potential fee and wages for Fernandes and are focusing their efforts on the Portuguese with Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson appearing too expensive. European champions Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are also among Fernandes’ suitors.

West Ham need to raise £150m this summer following their relegation to the Championship, and Fernandes — who joined the club from Southampton for £38m in August 2025 — is one of their most saleable assets. Southampton negotiated a 15 per cent sell-on fee.

The Athletic reported in May that Fernandes does not have a release clause in his contract, which expires in 2030.

Manchester United have already bolstered their midfield by reaching an agreement to sign Ederson from Atalanta in a deal worth up to €45m. Fernandes remains on their list of targets, with United head coach Michael Carrick eager to find a midfield partner for Kobbie Mainoo.

Fernandes recorded five goals and five assists in 42 appearances in all competitions for West Ham in the 2025-26 campaign. He was a contender for the club’s player of the season award, which was won by defender Konstantinos Mavropanos.

Fernandes won his first international cap for Portugal in April, but was not named in Roberto Martinez’s squad for this summer’s World Cup.

Spurs, meanwhile, are looking to revamp their squad after consecutive 17th-place finishes. They have allowed midfielder Yves Bissouma to leave on a free transfer.

Manchester United are exploring the goalkeeper market and Karl Darlow has emerged as a genuine option, prompting the possibility of a player making that rare footballing journey from Leeds United to Old Trafford.

Darlow is one of the names being discussed in Manchester, with Sam Johnstone of relegated Wolverhampton Wanderers another, and while none of the conversations are advanced, the club are holding talks to establish costs of possible deals, in terms of fees and wages.

Darlow, 35, would be available as a free agent, with his Leeds contract expiring at the end of this month.

As summer goes on, Manchester United are expected to sign a new goalkeeper, given the exits that are set to happen from their squad.

Tottenham Hotspur may rival them for the Wales international, who would follow Eric Cantona, Rio Ferdinand and Alan Smith in swapping Elland Road for Old Trafford, and/or Johnstone, depending on how their goalkeeping situation develops — Antonin Kinsky is regarded highly at Spurs now, but Guglielmo Vicario’s future could be away from north London.

Why are Manchester United looking at Darlow?

Manchester United are considering the goalkeeper market to add an experienced No 2 to support first-choice Senne Lammens as they embark on a season with many more fixtures than last term.

Andre Onana’s future is elsewhere, with the club wishing to remove his salary, of around £160,000 per week, from the wage bill. Onana spent last season on loan at Turkey’s Trabzonspor but is scheduled to return to the mothership for pre-season training in July. An exit, possibly back to Turkey on another loan or permanently, is expected.

Altay Bayindir, who was the principal backup to Lammens for most of last season, is in line to leave too, most likely making a return to his native Turkey. Istanbul side Besiktas have been linked.

Radek Vitek, the 22-year-old who swept the board for Bristol City’s Player of the Year prizes while on loan to the Championship club last season, could be an excellent deputy but is expected to depart to somewhere he’ll get more regular first-team football, either on loan or permanently. Several clubs have expressed an interest in him.

Tom Heaton signed a new one-year contract this month and is seen as a vital member of the dressing room in terms of maintaining standards. But the former England international turned 40 in April and hasn’t played a senior game since February 2023.

Darlow, when in such circumstances as a backup, has shown he can push a No 1, dislodging summer 2025 signing Lucas Perri at Leeds in January and staying in the team until the end of the season. He has nearly 300 career appearances in club football, including 74 in the Premier League, and 15 Wales caps.

Is there a financial and registration benefit to signing him?

Darlow being out of contract this summer is appealing to the Old Trafford hierarchy, who are looking to save money. English born and having come through the Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest academies, he counts as a homegrown player. Clubs must have a minimum of eight such players in their 25-man Premier League squads, so signing Darlow to replace Bayindir would free up a place elsewhere.

The same is true of Johnstone. He has two years left on his contract at Molineux but Wolves might need to raise funds through sales after relegation from the Premier League. Johnstone is 33, with 380 career club appearances, including 85 in the Premier League, and four England caps. He came through Manchester United’s academy before being sold to West Bromwich Albion in 2018 after being sent out on loan nine times.

What would this mean for the club’s other goalkeepers?

Lammens has established himself as the clear No 1, but with Champions League action back on the schedule next season, there might be occasions where he needs rotating for domestic action, predominantly in the two cups. Having tried-and-tested Premier League goalkeepers would give head coach Michael Carrick flexibility over selections.

Vitek is highly regarded after starring in the second tier last season, where he played in 41 of the 46 league games and kept 12 clean sheets, but the likelihood is he will want first-team football again in the new campaign, and so will be subject to interest from several clubs.

Heaton would remain as a valued training partner and influence around the club’s Carrington base. Dermot Mee, a 23-year-old who played four games on loan at neighbours Altrincham in the fifth-tier National League during the 2022-23 season, could also be a presence in sessions.

Laurie Whitwell

Where would Darlow fit in at Spurs?

After three years with the club, Vicario’s Tottenham future is uncertain. The Italy international was first-choice for the majority of last season before hernia surgery in March. He missed five games and then had to watch from the bench as Kinsky produced key saves in Spurs’ final two games to help them avoid relegation. The latter’s stock has risen dramatically since his humiliating first-half substitution against Atletico Madrid under Igor Tudor in March, and he looks far more suited to current head coach Roberto De Zerbi’s possession-based style.

It is unlikely 29-year-old Vicario will be happy as the backup, which is why the pursuit of an experienced, older goalkeeper such as Darlow makes sense. Kinsky, 23, could be officially promoted to No 1 and be supported by the former Leeds man, and Vicario sold to raise funds which Spurs could reinvest elsewhere in the squad.

Do Tottenham need a player like Darlow?

Vicario’s relationship with the Spurs supporters was damaged last season due to a series of high-profile errors. He was ironically cheered by the home crowd following a mistake which led to Harry Wilson’s long-range goal in November’s damaging defeat to Fulham.

De Zerbi has referred to his countryman as his first-choice goalkeeper on multiple occasions but it would be a huge risk to play him over Kinsky at the start of next season. During his time with Brighton & Hove Albion, De Zerbi rotated between Bart Verbruggen and Jason Steele in the 2023-24 season, but nobody at Spurs wants a repeat of that bizarre scenario.

Darlow will be 36 in October and could be relied upon in the cup competitions for the next couple of years and, crucially, has the quality to step in and play Premier League football if required. It makes sense for Tottenham to sign him on a free and move on from Vicario after three mixed years.

Jay Harris

How has Darlow played? Would he be a good No 2 for an elite side?

He’s been really good. He began each of the last two seasons as the backup at Leeds, but ended each as manager Daniel Farke’s first-choice, having forced his way past Illan Meslier and Perri respectively.

Darlow made some fantastic saves last season which kept Leeds in several games as they successfully fought to stave off relegation. Notably, one of his better performances came at Old Trafford in April, where the visitors won 2-1.

Also currently No 1 for Wales, he looks like the ideal backup choice for a Champions League side. He’s experienced, homegrown, a great character for the dressing room, two weeks from being out of contract and dependable if needed.

Do Leeds want to keep him?

Yes. The goalkeeping picture at Elland Road is uncertain. Darlow was good for Leeds, but given he’s begun all three of his seasons at the club as a backup, there are clearly reservations about his overall ability to be their undisputed starter.

While Leeds do want to retain him, it’s unclear whether Farke will give Darlow any assurances about playing time, and there is every possibility Leeds want to bring in another goalkeeper.

Darlow may, understandably at 35, want something verging on guaranteed starts next season, which would put Manchester United out of the picture as a destination anyway.

How would this move go down?

Manchester United are the club Leeds fans hate more than any other. If a player leaves Elland Road, a supporter’s sole request, generally, is, ‘go anywhere but Old Trafford’.

The more explosive examples of this particular divide being crossed are Ferdinand, Cantona and Smith. Seeing Smith, as a Leeds native and homegrown academy starlet, in the red shirt smarted more than any, however.

If Darlow does end up in Manchester, it would not sit well with Leeds fans, but there would be nothing like the strength of feeling that greeted those previous examples. He has had a nomadic career (his next club will be his seventh in senior football since a 2011 debut for Forest), does not have especially deep roots in the Yorkshire city and, as a backup goalkeeper, he has not had the high-profile presence of the others to make this move.

Beren Cross

Newcastle United need to be better sellers and everybody knows it. They need to be smarter, more strategic, less emotional and more dispassionate, doing what works for them when it works for them. Sandro Tonali leaving for Manchester City would tick most of those boxes — accompanied by a sharp pang of regret — but were he to join Tottenham Hotspur, it would tick none. Some moves come at too high a cost, no matter how much money they might generate, and this is one of them.

Anthony Gordon’s €80million (£69.3m; $93.2m) departure to Barcelona was a case study in efficiency. Negotiations were swift, the deal suited all parties and the England forward left radiating positivity about his time at St James’ Park, sentiments which were reciprocated. Newcastle were not heartbroken; it had taken a lot of patience and effort to get Gordon focused and re-energised after Liverpool attempted to sign him two years earlier, and there was no desire to go through all that again. It felt right.

In many ways, it was the antithesis of Alexander Isak’s drawn-out and discomforting transfer to Liverpool the previous summer, a partially self-inflicted mess which is instructing much of what Newcastle are doing now. They rebuffed Liverpool’s interest, Isak effectively went on strike, and Newcastle maintained that the Sweden international was not for sale until the moment they sold him, bringing in £125m, a British record fee, but with no time to spend it judiciously.

It was a desperately chastening transfer window. Newcastle had finally won a trophy and were back in the Champions League for the second time in three seasons, but their early attempts to pick off good players from fellow Premier League teams met with failure. And there were always going to be ramifications from the loss of Isak, whether the negative effect it had on Eddie Howe’s team or the potential precedent it set to his former team-mates.

Gordon left with the precision of a surgeon’s scalpel, his move completed early, with no chance of festering or disenchantment. It set a tone; Newcastle were open for business, albeit on their terms. Gordon got what he wanted without Isak’s bridge-burning, joining a club which is almost certain to be in the Champions League every season, which can pay big wages and which will compete for the game’s biggest prizes.

Newcastle know they are vulnerable to offers for Tonali. To put that a different way, while the Italian has not directly expressed a desire to leave, his representatives have been on manoeuvres for months, offering him to Arsenal in January and talking to Tottenham more recently. City’s interest is now firming up, all of which The Athletic has reported. There have been no talks between the clubs but if an offer comes, it will be considered.

Manchester City and Arsenal are Champions League teams that won silverware last season. Newcastle selling the 26-year-old to either of those clubs would hardly be ideal because they want to compete with them as equals rather than strengthen them, and while the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion, Brentford and Bournemouth have demonstrated it is possible to sell and improve, none of them are perennial challengers. It is a recognition of where, post-Isak, Newcastle are in the Premier League’s pecking order.

Big clubs routinely sell big players, but rarely jettison their best players at or just before their peak. Isak was a 20-goal-per-season forward and therefore almost priceless, while Gordon was Newcastle’s top scorer last season. On form — and he has not regularly shown it in 2026 — Tonali is a world-class footballer, a category which is increasingly in short supply on Tyneside. Him leaving for City or Arsenal might sting, but it would at least be understandable. They can make an almost tangible offer of success.

Spurs could not. After two 17th-placed seasons in the Premier League — and narrowly avoiding relegation — Tottenham are not in Europe (albeit they reached the last 16 of the Champions League). They are based in London, which can be a draw to players, their stadium is elite and they bring in more commercial revenue than Newcastle, but in a football sense, they have been shambolic, bouncing between managers and crises. They are the sole legacy ‘Big Six’ club Newcastle can feel they have overhauled. They are a direct rival.

None of this, by the way, is meant to disparage a great, historic club, but in the circumstances, Newcastle should not be offering them any succour.

Would their money not be as good as anybody else’s? No, not when it comes to optics and here there is an existential element about the club Newcastle now are and yearn to be. What is on the record is the desire expressed by David Hopkinson, their chief executive, for them “to be in the debate” about being “the top club in the world” by 2030 and similar expressions of ambition from Amanda Staveley, the former co-owner, and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the club’s chairman.

Getting there by selling does not feel straightforward, particularly when the buying part will include targeting younger, less established players — in Premier League terms — like Ewen Jaouen, their new goalkeeper, and Osasuna’s Spain winger Victor Munoz. While Newcastle insist their model has not significantly changed, it is different to what they did a year ago and definitely different to not buying anybody, which has also been a theme.

Being clever and snapping up exciting talent before the Premier League’s big boys are prepared to do the same served Newcastle well in the early days post-takeover; it got them Bruno Guimaraes, Sven Botman, even Isak, amongst others, although the narrative then was that they were shooting for the top. There should be a level of excitement about having a forward-thinking sporting director in Ross Wilson working in tandem with Howe and Hopkinson, and the construction of a fresh, younger team.

Yet that policy, combined with selling, brings risks. Howe excels in making players better but there are no guarantees; Guimaraes was an instant hit, more or less, but it has taken Will Osula two years to look like a reliable Premier League striker. There is nothing wrong with effectively being Brighton on steroids or Bournemouth with a bigger chequebook, yet it does not quite marry with the image Newcastle have portrayed in public. As they look to progress, are they simply taking a breath or is it actually a step backwards?

Tonali to Manchester City (or Arsenal) would be one thing. Newcastle are not actively pushing for it to happen and there is a danger it entrenches the idea of talent-drain at a moment when Lewis Hall, the left-back, is also being linked with a move away, but they could make the case they are not at that level yet and a bit of pain now will get them closer to it. In any case, Isak shows they should not stand in the way of aspirational or disgruntled players.

Spurs would be another thing entirely. Like Tottenham, Newcastle had a draining season, but there is a difference between top-class players leaving clubs as a short-cut to the top and leaving full-stop, and the messaging it sends out. Perceptions are important, internally and externally, and Newcastle need to show they are a club where ambitions can still be fulfilled, if not quite yet at the highest possible level. Being smarter does actually mean sometimes saying no.

Manchester City are giving genuine consideration to signing Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali as well as Elliot Anderson of Nottingham Forest.

The Athletic reported on Tuesday that Tottenham have held productive talks with Tonali’s camp and want to make the Italian their major signing this summer, but face serious competition from City, who have continued to track the player.

City’s interest in Tonali, 26, does not affect their plans to sign Anderson and they remain in talks with Nottingham Forest about a potential British record transfer.

Signing both midfielders, for what would likely be a combined cost of over £200million ($268m), comes with City seeking to build a side for Enzo Maresca, Pep Guardiola’s successor, that can challenge for next season’s Premier League title.

City have also seen Bernardo Silva depart for Real Madrid on a free transfer and are waiting to hear from fellow midfielder Rodri about whether he wants to stay at the club in the post-Guardiola era.

Rodri, who is in the last year of his contract, is at the World Cup with the Spain national team. The former Ballon d’Or winner has said he will wait until after the end of the tournament before announcing his decision.

Spurs head coach Roberto De Zerbi is an admirer of Tonali and Tottenham have made the strongest move this summer for a player whose representatives also spoke to Arsenal in February.

City, however, are very much in the reckoning and have not been deterred by the huge sums of money that would be involved.

Summer of change at City?

Analysis from Manchester City correspondent Sam Lee

City’s interest in Tonali sits alongside their interest in Anderson, 23, and suggests that big changes are afoot in the midfield at the Etihad Stadium.

City are in the market for reinforcements given Bernardo Silva’s exit, while Nico Gonzalez could also depart, and there is some uncertainty around Tijjani Reijnders.

But a serious push for Tonali, who would cost upwards of £80m, suggests that Rodri is on his way out, if not now then next summer. The 29-year-old Spaniard has been offered a new deal and City are desperate to keep him, but it does not currently appear that he will commit his future to the club.

That could mean a transfer this summer is best from a financial point of view, although Real Madrid, considered his most likely destination, appear to have no concrete interest in doing a deal.

City have been tracking Tonali for some time but would have a fight on their hands to sign him, given there is strong rival interest from others, including Tottenham, so there is a long way to go in this one.

But it does highlight that this will be a big summer of change at City.