Liverpool have agreed a deal to sign Swedish striker Alexander Isak from Newcastle United on a long-term contract for a British record fee of around 130 million pounds.
Arsenal's Premier League title charge gathered momentum as they moved two points clear at the top with a scrappy 1-0 victory over Newcastle United on Saturday as Leicester City's push faltered with a goalless home draw against Bournemouth.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
There was little fanfare but a few lessons perhaps learnt as the most expensive player in the history of English football - Angel di Maria - lasted 70 minutes on his Premier League debut for Manchester United in their goalless draw at Burnley on Saturday.
Here are five talking points from the weekend's action:
Leaders Manchester City kept up their unbeaten run with a 3-1 win over Bournemouth on Saturday. Manchester United salvaged a 2-2 draw at Southampton, who sacked manager Mark Hughes on Monday.
Chelsea have topped the spending list with Manchester United not far behind, but West Ham United's business epitomises the TV riches which give all Premier League clubs spending power that only the elite teams in Spain or Germany can dream of.
Manchester City spent more than 180 million pounds ($223.58 million) -- more than the combined amount paid by the other 19 English top-flight clubs in a relatively quiet window.
The 21-year-old Denmark international has made 22 appearances for the English champions this term having cemented his place at the heart of Antonio Conte's three-man defence.
It is too early to say who has got the best of the most frenetic transfer market.
To see the major transfers in the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, French Ligue 1, Italian Serie A and German Bundesliga in the January transfer window, click on the soccer ball (all transfer fees as reported by British media):
Scholes also criticised Amorim's treatment of United academy graduate Kobbie Mainoo, who played for England in the Euro 2024 final and scored in United's FA Cup final win over Manchester City that year.
Carragher said manager Arne Slot should build the team around Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz.
Manchester United played out a 2-2 draw against Everton in a pre-season match on Sunday.
Liverpool agree 136.3 million euros fee to sign Leverkusen's Wirtz, reports say
The 22-year-old German is Liverpool's most-expensive signing ever, ahead of captain Virgil van Dijk who joined for 75 million pounds in 2017.
Liverpool have assembled a squad with enough skill to end their trophy drought next season, midfielder Adam Lallana has said.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has risked angering frustrated fans by saying the under-performing London club do not need any January signings if everyone in the current squad stays fit.
Spending falls for first time since 2012
Champions Liverpool edged Newcastle United 3-2 in a thrilling finish thanks to a stoppage-time winner by teenaged Premier League debutant Rio Ngumoha.
Professional soccer has been suspended indefinitely across Europe since last month but countries and leagues are now planning for a return to training and competition without fans in attendance in May or June when restrictions are relaxed.
Winning back-to-back titles for the first time since 1984 is likely to prove a rather more arduous challenge for Liverpool.
'From the Academy right through until now, the support and love I have felt from everyone inside and outside of the club will stay with me forever. I will forever be in debt to you all.'
If Aubameyang's transfer to Chelsea goes through, he would return to the English top flight after seven months, having played for Chelsea's London rivals Arsenal for four years.
Manchester United plumbed new depths as fourth-tier Grimsby Town knocked them out of the League Cup 12-11 on penalties after a 2-2 draw.
Klopp said the upcoming transfer window was likely to be more subdued than in previous years due to the impact of COVID-19 on clubs' finances.
Dressing room unrest joined Blackburn Rovers' list of problems Tuesday with the struggling Premier League club turning down captain Chris Samba's transfer request.
The club is planning to strengthen it's bid to return to the Champions League by signing two players in next month's transfer window.
'If Alex wanted to come back and play for us, the players would welcome him. 100% I want to see him back in a Newcastle shirt.'
English football clubs splurged on the final day of the transfer window, laying out 210 million pounds to take total gross spending to a record-high 1.4 billion pounds as the Premier League again flexed its unrivalled financial muscles.
Transfers have broken a new record this summer, with around 500 million pounds being spent on new players by English Premier League clubs, according to a report from consultancy firm Deloitte. That was around 30 million pounds more than the same transfer window last year.
The transfer ban imposed on Chelsea by FIFA has been lifted after the Premier League club reached an agreement with French club Racing Lens over Gael Kakuta, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said on Thursday.
With nine days remaining before the transfer window closes for the season, around 93 million pounds has been spent by English clubs on new signings.
With United unable to sign a replacement, the pressure will be on 21-year-old England forward Marcus Rashford to deliver the goals in a more central role than he has previously operated in.
Images from the English Premier League matches on Saturday, August 30.
Billions of dollars, pounds and euros may have been lost in the global financial crisis, but most of Europe's leading soccer clubs are still poised to spend big when the winter transfer window opens on New Year's Day. Manchester City have been linked with more than 50 players in the build-up to January 1 including Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi of Barcelona, Kolo Toure of Arsenal and Roque Santa Cruz of Blackburn Rovers.
The Europa League champions were sanctioned in February for breaching rules regarding the international transfer and registration of players under 18. They were also fined 600,000 Swiss francs ($603,864.73).
The 33-year-old England international joined City from fellow Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur in 2017 and will reportedly sign a two-year contract extension, with his current deal set to expire in 2024.
With the current situation not conducive for Pakistan players, Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday said the team is not too keen on retaining Shoaib Akhtar and the Pakistani pacer is "up for trade".
Match-by-match facts and statistics ahead of the first round of Premier League fixtures from August 5-7 (all times IST).
