Transfer Roundup: Son announces Spurs departure while Liverpool halt Isak pursuit | OneFootball

With the start of the 2025/26 season rapidly approaching (or, in some cases, already upon us), transfer activity is really beginning to hot up.

The last week has been dominated by Alexander Isak’s will-he-won’t-he saga with Liverpool, while the announcement that Heung Min Son will be leaving North London marks the end of an era for Tottenham Hotspur.

At this time of the footballing calendar, it can be easy to fall behind a transfer carousel which feels never-ending, but we’ve got you covered. Here are 10 of the biggest transfer stories to come out of the last week.

Confirmed: Heung Min Son to leave Tottenham Hotspur

It was something of a bombshell when Heung Min Son announced on Friday that he would be leaving Spurs after a decade at the club.

The South Korean star joined in the summer of 2015 and made 454 appearances for The Lilywhites, scoring 173 goals in the process. Since his first Premier League appearance, only Mohamed Salah and Harry Kane have notched more goal contributions in England’s topflight.

After a decade in North London, Son finally secured the trophy he was so desperate for when Spurs beat Manchester United 1-0 in the final of the UEFA Europa League. He did manage to claim a couple of individual trophies on the way, though, picking up the Puskas Award for his goal against Burnley in 2019 and taking the Premier League Golden Boot in 2021/22.

Son was visibly emotional after playing his final game for Spurs, a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United in his home country, and talkSPORT have reported that he’s destined for a move to MLS with LAFC. Wherever he ends up, he leaves Tottenham Hotspur and English football a bona fide legend.

Rumour: Alexander Isak to… Newcastle United?

Well, this is awkward. Alexander Isak refused to travel with Newcastle United for their Asia tour with his sights set on a move to Liverpool.

However, after The Magpies refused the most recent bid of £110 million, it has been reported that there will be no further bids, and the Swede will have no choice but to return to Newcastle.

It’s a situation which isn’t exactly ideal. Isak will now have to work remarkably hard to rebuild a bond with his club and its fanbase, one to which he has done serious damage. As for Liverpool, they now head into the season with two strikers, one whose future is still in doubt in the form of Darwin Núñez, and the other who is thus far unproven in the Premier League.

In fact, it’s the latter who will probably be the biggest beneficiary of the move: Hugo Ekitike, who now has the peace of mind in knowing he joined Liverpool to be a starter.

And, all things considered, it’s one piece of good news for Newcastle in a window which hasn’t exactly gone to plan.

Confirmed: Callum Wilson to West Ham United

With Michail Antonio having left West Ham alongside the expiration of Evan Ferguson’s loan deal, there was a striker hole at the club and it has now been filled by Callum Wilson.

The Englishman has joined The Hammers on a free transfer after scoring 49 goals in 130 appearances for Newcastle United, where he became a fan favourite before ultimately falling second fiddle to Isak.

Injuries were a big factor in his time in the north east, with Wilson missing 119 matches during his time at the club. If he can stay fit, he’ll be competing with Niclas Füllkrug for the number nine spot in East London.

Confirmed: James Trafford to Manchester City

It’s a move that was reported last week before being made official last Tuesday: after spending two seasons away from the club at Burnley, James Trafford has rejoined Manchester City for a fee of £27 million.

The move came after City activated their option to match any accepted fee for the goalkeeper, as Newcastle bid £31 million for his services. At that point, it was up to Trafford to choose his destination, and he opted for a return to the club whom he had played for since 2015. That meant City also received £4 million as part of a sell-on fee, making the fee £27 million.

In two seasons at Burnley, the 22-year-old kept a remarkable 31 clean sheets in 73 appearances. In the 2024/25 season, The Clarets conceded only 16 goals in 46 Championship games. Unsurprisingly, that’s the lowest tally in EFL history, and an achievement Trafford was at the heart of.

His return to Eastlands will have knock-on effects, though. As things stand, Manchester City have four goalkeepers at the club, and it’s reported that Stefan Ortega may be the man to move on and facilitate the Englishman’s arrival.

Confirmed: João Palhinha to Tottenham Hotspur

Sometimes, a transfer just isn’t to be.

João Palhinha had his heart set on a move to Bayern Munich after impressing during his first season at Fulham, but at the very last minute, the deal collapsed and he returned to Craven Cottage. There, he continued to excel for another season and did eventually get his Bavarian switch.

But, in his only season in the Bundesliga, the Portuguese international made only six starts, resulting in a return to England with Spurs, who have signed the holding midfielder on an initial loan with an option to buy.

At the age of 30 and with 68 Premier League appearances to his name, Palhinha could be the perfect experienced head to bring some balance to their midfield.

Confirmed: William Carvalho to Pachuca

From one Portuguese holding midfielder to another: there was a time when William Carvalho was one of the hottest midfielders in Europe, routinely finding himself linked with the continent’s elite sides.

Alas, moves never materialised, and he spent seven years at Real Betis, making a huge 223 appearances in the process.

However, upon the expiration of his contract, he has now made a move – but not where you might expect.

Snubbing Europe, the 33-year-old has opted for a switch to Liga MX, signing for Mexican giants Pachuca.

It’s not a league without its cachet, either. Carvalho has joined big names like Ángel Correa, André-Pierre Gignac, Keylor Navas, Aaron Ramsey, Sergio Ramos and James Rodríguez in a league whose star power is ever-growing.

Confirmed: Granit Xhaka to Sunderland

This is what you call a statement of intent. Having already spent over £100 million on new signings this summer, Sunderland announced their biggest addition yet, with Granit Xhaka joining for £13 million (although that fee could grow to as high as £17.3 million).

The 32-year-old joins The Black Cats from a Bayer Leverkusen side who, only two seasons ago, won the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal without losing a single match, and it was a squad in which the Swiss international played an integral role.

Xhaka already has Premier League experience, making 225 league appearances during his seven-year spell at Arsenal.

Rumour: Benjamin Šeško to Manchester United or Newcastle United

It’s all happening for Benjamin Šeško. Last week, The Athletic reported that Manchester United had identified the Slovenian as their ideal striker target, but they also revealed that Newcastle United have made a bid in the region of £65 million for the striker.

RB Leipzig are yet to budge, but a recent development has come with Sky Germany reporting that Manchester United are willing to match that offer to bring the 22-year-old to Old Trafford.

It remains to be seen how the apparent Isak U-turn will affect Newcastle’s interest in Šeško. If he is destined for Manchester, he would likely be seen as the final piece of the puzzle for Ruben Amorim’s new-look attack, as he’d join Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo in a frontline which looks markedly different than that of last season.

Šeško has scored 39 goals in 87 RB Leipzig appearances, and for now he’s still their player. However, it does seem like a move away could certainly come sooner rather than later.

Confirmed: Jorrel Hato to Chelsea

For a fee of just under £35 million, Jorrel Hato has become the newest addition to Chelsea’s backline. The highly rated 19-year-old can play as both a left back and a centre half and has already captained Ajax on multiple occasions.

At such a young age, Hato likely won’t displace any of the established figures in a Chelsea side which recently became champions of the world, and with a seven-year contract signed, he’ll more likely be seen as a player who can stay at Stamford Bridge for many years to come.

Confirmed: Aaron Ramsdale to Newcastle United

With Manchester City snatching Trafford from their grasp and the club still intent on signing a goalkeeper, Newcastle United reacted quickly by confirming the signing of Aaron Ramsdale from Southampton.

The Englishman joins on a season-long loan with an option to buy and will be competing with Nick Pope for the number one spot at St. James’ Park.

On why he opted to move to the club, Ramsdale spoke on his relationship with manager Eddie Howe, under whom he had previously played at Bournemouth.

“Working with the manager and his coaching staff was a big draw for me,” he said. “They’ve already had a great influence on my career and the gaffer [Howe] turned me from a man to a professional footballer at Bournemouth.”

Ramsdale has had a tumultuous relationship with the Premier League, falling to relegation on three separate occasions with Bournemouth, Sheffield United and Southampton. He’ll be hoping his Newcastle spell can banish those demons.

You can keep up to date with all the major transfer news at FromTheSpot, with a new Transfer Roundup every Monday.