Transfer Market Today: Al Hilal Agree Watkins Deal, Marmoush Nears Tottenham and Man City Reshape Their Squad
After90

A full roundup of today’s biggest transfer developments, including Watkins to Al Hilal, Marmoush to Tottenham, Manchester City’s rebuild and major Premier League negotiations.
The summer transfer market is accelerating as European clubs enter the final days before the window closes, with major Premier League moves increasingly intersecting with ambitious Saudi Pro League recruitment.
Al Hilal have reached an agreement with Aston Villa over Ollie Watkins, Tottenham have agreed a deal with Manchester City for Omar Marmoush, while City continue a major restructuring of their midfield and attacking options.
Meanwhile, players including Enzo Fernández, Emiliano Martínez, Julián Álvarez and Bradley Barcola remain the subject of interest or negotiations without reaching the stage of an official transfer.
After90Sports tracks the biggest transfer developments as of the morning of Thursday, August 27, 2026, clearly distinguishing between completed deals, agreements awaiting final procedures and transfers that remain at the negotiation or interest stage.
Key Transfer Developments
| Player | From | To | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nico González | Manchester City | Newcastle United | ✅ Official |
| Ayyoub Bouaddi | Lille | Manchester City | ✅ Official |
| Savinho | Manchester City | Tottenham | ✅ Official |
| Ollie Watkins | Aston Villa | Al Hilal | 🟠 Club agreement |
| Nicolas Jackson | Chelsea | Aston Villa | 🟠 Club agreement |
| Omar Marmoush | Manchester City | Tottenham | 🟠 Agreement / medical pending |
| Enzo Fernández | Chelsea | Manchester City | 🟡 Interest / possible move |
| Emiliano Martínez | Aston Villa | Chelsea | 🟡 Interest |
| Bradley Barcola | Paris Saint-Germain | Liverpool | 🟡 Negotiations |
| Julián Álvarez | Atlético Madrid | Barcelona / Arsenal | 🟡 Future unresolved |
Watkins Nears Al Hilal After Agreement With Aston Villa
🟠 Status: Club agreement — not officially announced yet
Ollie Watkins is moving closer to joining Al Hilal after the Saudi club reached an agreement with Aston Villa over the England striker.
According to Sky Sports, Aston Villa have agreed to sell Watkins to Al Hilal in a deal worth around £50 million, after previously rejecting an offer and initially maintaining that they wanted to keep the forward.
Watkins is also reportedly open to moving to the Saudi Pro League.
The agreement represents a major development in a transfer story that has continued for several weeks, particularly given Watkins' importance to Aston Villa in recent seasons.
The England international scored 16 Premier League goals last season and played a major role in Aston Villa's successful campaign.
For Al Hilal, the deal would add a striker with considerable Premier League experience, strong movement behind defensive lines and the ability to lead the attack as a central forward.
However, until either club officially announces the move, the transfer remains an agreement between the parties rather than a completed signing.
Nicolas Jackson Set for Aston Villa Move
🟠 Status: Club agreement
Aston Villa have moved quickly to prepare for Watkins' expected departure, reaching an agreement with Chelsea for Nicolas Jackson.
The deal could be worth up to £65 million including add-ons, according to Sky Sports.
Jackson spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich, but the obligation-to-buy clause in that agreement was not activated after the required appearance conditions were not met.
The Senegal international is already familiar with Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, having previously worked under him at Villarreal.
The two deals are therefore closely connected:
Ollie Watkins → Al Hilal Nicolas Jackson → Aston Villa
Villa have not yet officially announced Jackson's signing.
Omar Marmoush Closing In on Tottenham
🟠 Status: Agreement — final procedures pending
Egypt international Omar Marmoush is close to leaving Manchester City for Tottenham after the two clubs reached an agreement.
According to Sky Sports, the move will initially be structured as a loan with an obligation to buy worth up to £60 million.
The reported structure includes:
- £50 million guaranteed
- £10 million in potential add-ons
Marmoush is expected to undergo a medical before the deal is finalized.
His potential arrival in north London comes only days after another Manchester City attacker, Savinho, completed a move to Tottenham.
Tottenham officially announced the Brazilian winger's signing on August 25 after he made 84 appearances and scored seven goals for Manchester City.
The move forms part of a major attacking rebuild under Roberto De Zerbi, with Tottenham's summer spending already exceeding £300 million following the Savinho deal.
Marmoush would give Spurs another versatile attacker capable of playing centrally, from wide areas or as a mobile forward behind the main striker.
Nico González Completes Newcastle Move
✅ Status: Official transfer
Newcastle United have officially completed the signing of Spanish midfielder Nico González from Manchester City on a long-term contract.
The 24-year-old will wear the No. 6 shirt and becomes Newcastle's seventh senior addition of the summer transfer window.
Neither club publicly disclosed the fee, although reports have valued the transfer at around £52 million.
González made 59 appearances and scored four goals for Manchester City after joining from Porto.
His departure is another significant part of the extensive changes taking place in City's midfield this summer.
Manchester City Complete Major Ayyoub Bouaddi Deal
✅ Status: Official transfer
Manchester City have also completed the signing of highly rated Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille.
The 18-year-old signed a five-year contract, with British media reports valuing the deal at approximately £86 million.
Bouaddi made 30 Ligue 1 appearances last season and had already established himself as one of Lille's most promising young players.
He became the youngest player ever to represent Lille's senior team in 2023, making his debut at the age of 16.
His arrival forms part of a major transformation of Manchester City's midfield.
City have also signed Elliot Anderson, while Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders, Bernardo Silva and Nico González have all departed.
The scale of the movement suggests Manchester City are undertaking a near-complete midfield rebuild, rather than simply adding depth to the squad.
Enzo Fernández: Could City Keep Spending?
🟡 Status: Interest — no agreement
Despite adding Bouaddi and Anderson, Manchester City could still target another major midfield signing.
Sky Sports reports that City are considering a bid for Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernández before the transfer window closes.
Chelsea reportedly value the Argentina international at around:
£120 million.
The London club originally paid approximately £107 million to sign Fernández from Benfica in 2023.
Chelsea had previously set a deadline for interested clubs to make their intentions clear, and City did not submit an offer during that period. However, their interest has reportedly remained.
Fernández still has six years remaining on his Chelsea contract, giving the club a strong negotiating position.
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has also said the midfielder continues to train normally and remains available for selection.
For now, the situation should therefore be classified as interest and a possible move rather than an advanced transfer.
Chelsea Consider Emiliano Martínez Move
🟡 Status: Interest — no formal bid reported
Chelsea's goalkeeper situation has also emerged as one of the transfer stories to watch in the closing days of the window.
Sky Sports reports that Chelsea are considering a move for Aston Villa and Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, after the player's representatives offered him to the London club.
The possibility of Martínez leaving Villa has increased following their signing of goalkeeper Zion Suzuki from Parma for close to £30 million.
Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez has also faced criticism following mistakes during the opening stages of the season, putting renewed focus on the position.
Martínez has made 256 appearances for Aston Villa since joining from Arsenal in 2020.
There has not yet been a confirmed Chelsea bid or an agreement between the clubs, meaning the transfer remains at the interest and evaluation stage.
Julián Álvarez: Barcelona Interested, Atlético Refuse to Sell
🟡 Status: No advanced transfer negotiations
Uncertainty continues to surround the future of Atlético Madrid striker Julián Álvarez.
According to Sky Sports, the Argentine is interested in a move to Barcelona, but Atlético Madrid remain strongly opposed to selling one of their most important players to a direct La Liga rival.
Arsenal could emerge as an alternative if Álvarez decides to leave Madrid and gives up on the possibility of joining Barcelona.
However, Arsenal are not currently expecting to complete the transfer, and serious negotiations are unlikely unless Álvarez clearly indicates that he would be willing to move to London.
Reports suggest Atlético could consider an Arsenal offer in the region of £130 million, but no official proposal of that size has been submitted.
For that reason, any suggestion that Álvarez is close to Barcelona or Arsenal would currently be premature.
Liverpool Search for a New Winger as Barcola Leads the List
🟡 Status: Negotiations ongoing
Liverpool remain active in the closing days of the transfer window, with a clear focus on strengthening the wide attacking positions.
Their leading target is Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola.
Liverpool have reportedly held further discussions with PSG, with optimism that an agreement could still be reached despite a significant difference in valuation.
Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly seeking around £145 million for the France international.
Liverpool have also submitted two bids for Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh, with the latest offer reportedly worth £60 million. Brighton rejected both proposals.
With negotiations proving difficult, Liverpool have additionally contacted Crystal Palace regarding Senegal winger Ismaïla Sarr, although Palace currently have no desire to sell him.
Liverpool's winger search therefore currently looks like this:
- Bradley Barcola: primary target, negotiations continuing.
- Yankuba Minteh: two bids rejected.
- Ismaïla Sarr: initial contact made, but Crystal Palace do not want to sell.
Manchester City at the Centre of the Transfer Market
Looking across the biggest moves of the past few days, one club stands out at the centre of the market:
Manchester City
In a short period:
- Ayyoub Bouaddi has joined Manchester City.
- Elliot Anderson had already arrived.
- Nico González has officially joined Newcastle.
- Savinho has officially joined Tottenham.
- Tottenham have reached an agreement for Omar Marmoush.
- City continue to consider a move for Enzo Fernández.
Those moves come alongside other major midfield departures, including Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders and Bernardo Silva.
The overall picture suggests a substantial transformation of City's squad rather than a routine summer transfer window.
Tottenham, meanwhile, have become one of the biggest beneficiaries of City's outgoing business after completing the Savinho deal and moving closer to adding Marmoush.
Which Deals Are Official — and Which Are Not?
With transfer reports increasing rapidly in the final days of the window, distinguishing between the different stages of a deal is essential.
✅ Official transfers
- Nico González to Newcastle United.
- Ayyoub Bouaddi to Manchester City.
- Savinho to Tottenham.
🟠 Agreements awaiting completion or announcement
- Ollie Watkins to Al Hilal.
- Nicolas Jackson to Aston Villa.
- Omar Marmoush to Tottenham.
🟡 Deals still at the interest or negotiation stage
- Enzo Fernández and Manchester City.
- Emiliano Martínez and Chelsea.
- Julián Álvarez and Barcelona or Arsenal.
- Bradley Barcola and Liverpool.
- Yankuba Minteh and Liverpool.
- Ismaïla Sarr and Liverpool.
With the transfer window approaching its deadline, several of these stories could quickly move from negotiations to agreements.
However, an agreement is not an official transfer until the required procedures are completed and the relevant club confirms the signing.
Sources
- Newcastle United — Official announcement of Nico González.
- Manchester City — Official announcement of Ayyoub Bouaddi.
- Tottenham Hotspur — Official announcement of Savinho.
- Sky Sports — Ollie Watkins and Al Hilal; Nicolas Jackson and Aston Villa.
- Sky Sports — Tottenham agreement for Omar Marmoush.
- Reuters — Nico González and Ayyoub Bouaddi transfer details.
- Sky Sports — Manchester City's interest in Enzo Fernández.
- Sky Sports — Chelsea and Emiliano Martínez.
- Sky Sports — Julián Álvarez, Atlético Madrid, Barcelona and Arsenal.
- Sky Sports — Liverpool's pursuit of Bradley Barcola, Yankuba Minteh and Ismaïla Sarr.
Last updated: August 27, 2026.