Like every summer, transfer rumours are providing fans with daily, often entirely fabricated, footballing sustenance.
For Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers, there’s nothing quite like a new arrival to heighten the excitement ahead of a new season.
- READ MORE: Confirmed summer transfers for FPL 2025/26
Using our page of completed top-flight deals, we know that Joao Pedro, Maxim De Cuyper, Jeremie Frimpong, Rayan Cherki, Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez have made their moves.
Now that we’re entering mid-July, expect to see more deals getting over the line, as managers try embedding new signings into pre-season training.
Morgan Gibbs-White and Noni Madueke look set to be the next new arrivals. They are seemingly beyond the rumour stage, with the Madueke to Arsenal deal reportedly done and Gibbs-White set for a medical at Tottenham Hotspur.
So, who else looks poised to join the English top-flight? Here we run the rule over the week’s latest transfer rumours, their likelihood of completion and what sort of FPL fit they would be.
FPL TRANSFER RUMOURS
Yoane Wissa (Brentford) to Tottenham Hotspur or Nottingham Forest
Around the same time that a £55 million purchase of Mohammed Kudus was agreed with West Ham United, several sources claimed that new Spurs boss Thomas Frank wants to quickly reunite with Brentford’s Wissa.
It’d likely take between £40-50 million to secure someone who has proven himself to be a quality centre-forward over recent times.
This came after two initial Premier League seasons in which Ivan Toney was their focus. Wissa started no more than 16 times in either, many of which were based out wide.
Yet a mad Thursday evening now has Spurs on the verge of signing Morgan Gibbs-White for £60 million, as Nottingham Forest responded by bidding less than their £25 million January offer for Wissa.
How likely?
Any deal looks difficult from both ends. The Bees have already lost their manager, captain and goalkeeper this summer, with star man Bryan Mbeumo probably gone too.
At what point does this become self-sabotage? They’d be purposely putting themselves in a relegation fight. Then again, maybe it thwarts the Mbeumo deal.
And now that Kudus is done and Gibbs-White is having a medical, are Spurs really needing another big-money attacking splash?
Regarding Forest, reducing their previously low bid feels insulting. Wissa would need some convincing, as the Tricky Trees are undergoing their own risky decimation.
Any FPL appeal?
FPL-wise, the 28-year-old has more appeal as a Brentford player. Frank is inheriting a team possessing Dominic Solanke up front and a current choice of Son Heung-min, Brennan Johnson, Mathys Tel, Richarlison, Wilson Odobert and now Kudus for the other spots.
Wissa had an excellent 2024/25, though. A total of 19 goals, all from inside the box, coming fifth overall for big chances (34). Not bad for someone without penalties.
In fact, he ranked second for non-penalty expected goals (NPxG, 18.59). That’s better than Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak.
Johan Bakayoko (PSV Eindhoven) to Nottingham Forest
After letting their seemingly safe Champions League qualification slip into a seventh-place finish, the imminent sales of Gibbs-White and Anthony Elanga are trying to deflate the mood at Forest, when securing European football should have it high.
Reports say that Nuno Espirito Santo wants highly-rated PSV winger Johan Bakayoko as Elanga’s replacement, for around £30 million.
How likely?
Also linked with Lyon’s Malick Fofana, they clearly need someone in this position. If some late-season uncertainty is keeping top clubs away from Bakayoko, Forest could be a good fit for the Belgian international.
Any FPL appeal?
The 22-year-old is liked by WhoScored, as the site lists a lot of strengths such as dribbling, finishing and shooting from distance.
Bakayoko is fresh from winning successive Eredivisie titles, where the first campaign brought 12 goals and nine assists. But less than half of those attacking returns took place last time.
Minutes were fewer because he was often benched for veteran Ivan Perisic during the closing months. Bakayoko started just five of PSV’s final 17 matches, in all competitions.
That doesn’t feel like a great sign. But if this deal goes through, he should largely avoid rotation and Forest sit fourth on our Fixture Ticker between now and Gameweek 6.
Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta) to Newcastle United
Meanwhile, once Elanga is through the door, Newcastle’s next summer priority is a centre-back, knowing they’ll be fighting on more fronts in 2025/26.
Fabian Schar has stayed strong over the past three seasons, but he and Dan Burn are an ageing partnership that needs Sven Botman‘s return and an extra, younger name.
Rumours say Scalvini, Marc Guehi and Marseille’s Leonardo Balerdi are supposedly under transfer consideration.
How likely?
Eddie Howe likes Premier League targets, and Guehi seems to be his number one choice. However, if the Crystal Palace man goes to Liverpool, it’s yet another example of the Magpies still not quite being able to beat elite clubs when it comes to transfers.
They then spend big on high-potential players who, for a particular reason, aren’t these sides’ top priority. Whether it’s Tino Livramento being fresh from a long-term injury, or Botman, Alexander Isak, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes being based abroad, these have all turned out brilliantly.
In this case, cruciate ligament and shoulder issues obliterated Scalvini’s 2024/25. One of Italy’s biggest prospects, The Times thinks this has shortened his asking price to £30 million.
That fee would be hard to ignore for Howe but, in reality, it’s surely a higher amount. And that would increase the risk.
Any FPL appeal?
When the Azzurri hand a debut to an 18-year-old centre-back, you know he must be special. This happened to the 6ft 4in giant in 2022, a talent at both intercepting and being on the ball.
On the other hand, he’s low on goals and would be eased into Tyneside life. Once the tough opening fixtures are over, though, Scalvini could be an FPL asset – especially if he’s no higher than £4.5m.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (unattached) to Manchester United
Over at Man United, their burst out of the traps to buy Matheus Cunha has been followed by a frustratingly slow summer.
The Mbeumo negotiations are taking forever, while completing the attacking overhaul with a big-name centre-forward has stuttered.
Viktor Gyokeres wants Arsenal, Hugo Ekitike’s fee is big, and Victor Osimhen chatter has cooled down. New targets are said to include Ollie Watkins and Moise Kean. But what if they resort to free agent Calvert-Lewin?
How likely?
Also labelled as a potential Callum Wilson replacement at Newcastle, neither move seems realistic. Both are chasing higher-profile targets.
Any FPL appeal?
If Calvert-Lewin ends up as Man United’s first-choice forward, he’ll have landed on his feet. Although given his injury record, even that dropping could backfire.
Starts and goals at Everton have diminished because he’s constantly sidelined. 2021 brought a lengthy toe-related absence, preceding a bunch of hamstring problems. He hasn’t started a match since January.
Beyond that, he’s a serial expected goals (xG) underachiever who can’t be relied upon. Over the last three campaigns, his xG Delta claims there should have been another 13.52 strikes.
It’s one of the strangest transfer rumours so far.
