UPDATE (15 August): Manchester City did not lodge a bid before Chelsea’s 5pm Friday deadline, and Chelsea now expect Enzo Fernández to stay for the season. According to Sky Sports and ESPN, the terms verbally offered to the player’s representatives back in May are off the table. City are not barred from returning before the window shuts on 1 September, but any move would now start from scratch. For FPL managers the practical read is simple: the uncertainty that kept Fernández at 5.6 per cent ownership has gone, and he is safe to pick for the opening gameweek. The original article follows below.
A week in which Arsenal finally closed the biggest deal of the summer, and Chelsea handed Manchester City an ultimatum with a specific time attached. The clock is still ticking as we publish this.
Enzo Fernández: Chelsea give City until 5pm Friday
The biggest story of the week is being decided today. According to Sky Sports, Chelsea have set Manchester City a deadline of 5pm UK time on Friday to lodge an official bid for Enzo Fernández. Chelsea value the Argentine at £120m, and he still has six years left on his contract.
At the time of writing, no bid has arrived. Sky also state that no agreement has been reached with the player himself — although some transfer outlets claim personal terms with City are already settled. We are treating that second version as unconfirmed until it is resolved.
Chelsea’s position is firm: if the bid does not meet their demands, they do not intend to sell the midfielder in this window or in the winter one. The motive is a calm start to the season. Relations between the two clubs have been strained since Enzo Maresca left Chelsea for City, a move for which the champions paid £17m in compensation.
What it means for your FPL squad
This is not a transfer you can ignore while building your team. In our AI rankings, Enzo Fernández sits 9th in the entire game with a rating of 88 and a Buy verdict, priced at £7.0m and owned by just 5.5 per cent of managers. That is exactly the profile we described in our piece on differentials, and one of the reasons he made our recommended squad for the opening gameweek.
A move to City would change two things at once: the fixtures (Chelsea open away at Fulham, City at home to Bournemouth) and his role in the side, and with it his realistic points ceiling. The GW1 deadline falls on Friday 21 August at 6:30pm — a week from now. There is no reason to lock your squad in today. Wait until this is settled.
Bruno Guimarães is an Arsenal player. Officially, for £75m
The saga we have followed since the start of August is over. Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Bruno Guimarães from Newcastle United for £75m. The Brazilian has signed a four-year contract with the option of a further season.
He leaves St James’ Park with 195 appearances, 31 goals and the captain’s armband from the 2025 League Cup final that ended Newcastle’s long wait for silverware. The champions add a midfielder who combines defensive work with creation — the exact combination Arsenal were missing most.
Cristian Romero leaves Tottenham for Atlético
Tottenham are selling one of the pillars of their defence. Cristian Romero is joining Atlético Madrid in a package worth €40m (around £34m) including add-ons. Spurs have secured 15 per cent of any future sell-on fee.
The 28-year-old departs after 156 appearances since his permanent move in 2022. For Tottenham it is another significant change to a squad already reshaped by more than £200m of summer spending.
Brentford break their own transfer record
Brentford have announced the signing of Mamadou Sangaré from RC Lens for a club-record fee — reported at around £41m, though the club did not disclose the figure. The 24-year-old Mali international has signed a five-year deal with a one-year option.
This is no speculative buy. In his debut season in France, Sangaré helped Lens finish second and win the first Coupe de France in the club’s history, made the Ligue 1 Team of the Year and collected the Prix Marc-Vivien Foé as the best African player in the division. Head coach Keith Andrews put it simply: the new midfielder brings qualities the squad did not have.
Newcastle have lost the spine of their team
It is worth viewing this summer through one club. Within a few weeks Newcastle have parted with Bruno Guimarães (Arsenal), Sandro Tonali (Tottenham, £100m) and Anthony Gordon (Barcelona), and also said goodbye to Eddie Howe, replaced by Matthias Jaissle.
From an FPL point of view that is a warning sign. A side that was a reliable source of points a year ago starts this season with a new manager and a rebuilt midfield. Until we see that team in competitive matches, Newcastle assets deserve caution.
How much time is left
The window closes on Tuesday 1 September at 11pm UK time. That leaves more than two weeks — and, more importantly, it means the window is still open after the first gameweek. You are building your opening squad while several teams are still changing shape.
The next few days: Enzo Fernández is decided today, and on Saturday Manchester United play their final pre-season test against AC Milan in Wrocław. We will return to this as soon as there is an outcome.
This article was produced with the support of AI tools, based on verified reporting (Sky Sports, Fabrizio Romano, official club statements) and data from our own rating engine. Fantasy PL Edge is not affiliated with the Premier League or the Fantasy Premier League game.