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The transfer window usually dominates discussion during the summer, but that is rarely the case in tournament years as the market is forced to take a backseat. However, business never sleeps and several deals have gone unnoticed during the 2026 World Cup. After five and a half weeks and some 104 matches, the big event is finally over, meaning attention can now turn to the comings and goings at club level.
An extraordinary amount of money is once again spent in the Premier League. We’ve seen Tottenham splurge on the likes of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, Elliot Anderson swapped Nottingham Forest for Manchester City for a huge fee and Chelsea made Morgan Rogers the most expensive British player of all time after
But it’s not just the big hitters who have been spending money this summer, with a series of relatively low-profile moves while all eyes were on the tournament across the pond.
Here, then, are 10 Premier League transfers you may have missed during the World Cup…
Emersonn (from Toulouse to Ipswich Town, £26.5m)
Ipswich quietly broke their transfer record during the World Cup following their return to the Premier League after a season away, going big to sign young Brazilian striker Emersonn (yes, with two Ns) from Ligue 1 side Toulouse in a deal worth £26.5 million ($35.5 million).
There certainly seems to be some risk attached to the transfer, given that the 22-year-old is obviously unproven in the English top flight and his return of six goals and two assists in the league last season is not particularly promising. When you take into account the potential financial implications of relegation at the end of 2026-27, there is a lot of pressure to make this move work.
Joao Gomes (Wolves to Aston Villa, £38m)
It’s not strictly a transfer that happened during the World Cup, as the move was announced the day after the final, but Aston Villa certainly implemented this deal while the tournament was still ongoing. The Midlands club were quick to sign a replacement for Youri Tielemanss, who joined Manchester United just a week ago.
The £38 million ($51 million) fee seems a bit steep, but Gomes is a Brazil international and has proven his experience in the Premier League since his time at Molineux. A clean and tidy midfielder who loves to attack tackles, he is not a like-for-like replacement for the more attacking Tielemans, but Unai Emery hopes that, at 25, the new man can further develop his game at Villa Park in a more fluid team. he follows
Illan Meslier (Leeds United to Arsenal, free)
Arsenal have a new substitute goalkeeper in their ranks after
It remains to be seen whether he is second or third choice behind David Rayaa, amid uncertainty surrounding Kepa Arrizabalaga’s future in north London. It has been reported that Arsenal will not stand in the way of the 31-year-old former Chelsea goalkeeper if he approaches them.
Óscar Mingueza (Celta Vigo to Crystal Palace, free)
While the rest of the football world was focused on events in North America, Crystal Palace could have pulled off one of the shrewdest moves of the transfer window by bringing in Oscar Mingueza, who was
Honed at Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy, Mingueza has been a standout player in La Liga over the past 18 months, and was even linked with the likes of Arsenal and Juventus before landing in south London. Although he missed out on a place in Spain’s World Cup-winning team, the 27-year-old is a senior international who brings versatility and experience. This seems like a very smart business.
Marco Palestra to Chelsea (Atalanta to Chelsea, £47m)
The first signing of the Xabi Alonso era at Chelsea is
A marauding and versatile full-back who was named Serie A Defender of the Year after an impressive season on loan at Cagliari, the 21-year-old arrived at Stamford Bridge for a cool £47 million ($62 million). Alonso is reported to have approved the transfer, with the young defender seemingly perfectly suited to the Spanish tactician’s preferred back three or four defense systems, given he can operate on either flank as a full-back or full-back.
Álvaro Rodríguez (Elche to Bournemouth, £26 million)
Bournemouth have built a reputation for unearthing young gems in the transfer market, and they hope to have made another shrewd move by bringing in Elche striker Álvar Rodríguez. The 22-year-old Uruguayan, who came through Real Madrid’s youth system, impressed last season despite Elche flirting with relegation.
Rodríguez contributed 12 La Liga goals, and Bournemouth have taken a leap of faith by investing a hefty £26 million ($34 million) fee on his services. The hope will be that he can translate that form into the Premier League as he continues to develop, and he could well be a replacement for 20-year-old sensation Eli Junior Kroupi, who is attracting the attention of the so-called ‘big six’.
Bazoumana Touré (Hoffenheim to Newcastle, £43m)
In terms of statement, big-name signings, Newcastle’s transfer window has once again not gone exactly to plan. The Magpies have faced a number of key targets for the second summer in a row after their nightmare 2025, including Victor Muñoz, who joined Liverpool, and the aforementioned Manzambi, who signed for Aston Villa.
However, the Tynesiders have been adding a number of highly regarded youngsters to their squad, and the most significant outlay has occurred in
Touré was quickly followed to St James’ Park by 18-year-old Ajax midfielder Sean Steurur, who himself cost £23 million ($31 million).
Callum Wilson (West Ham to Brentford, free)
West Ham may have been relegated but veteran striker Callum Wilson won’t go down with them after jumping ship at the end of his one-year contract and swapping east London for the west by joining Brentford on another short-term deal. It follows the arrival of Jaidon Anthonyny in what looks like a bargain £20 million ($27 million) from relegated Burnley.
Wilson is likely to play second fiddle to Igor Thiagogo at the Gtech Stadium after the Brazilian’s prolific 2025-26 campaign earned him a call-up to the Brazil World Cup, and the England international has set his sights on reaching 100 Premier League goals. It currently occupies 95.
Harry Wilson (Fulham to Leeds United, free transfer)
Could this be one of the Premier League signings of the summer? Top-flight clubs were lining up to sign Harry Wilson following the expiry of his Fulham contract and a sublime individual season that saw a further 11 goals and eight assists in all competitions, with the former Liverpool player belatedly discovering the form of his life at the age of 29.
Quite unexpectedly, it was Leeds who won the fierce battle for Wilson’s signature as a free agent. Announcing the Welshman’s arrival, the Yorkshire club claimed that the attacker had chosen them from “a number of offers from elsewhere”, a list which could well include Aston Villa, heavily linked earlier this summer and who have once again qualified for the Champions League.
The Whites then once again got ahead of their rivals by signing Bosnian centre-back Tarik Muharemovic from Sassuolo after his impressive performances at the World Cup.
Zadok Yohanna (AIK to Brighton, £26m)
You’d be forgiven for not having heard of Zadok Yohanna (neither have we, to be honest!), but it could be the latest in a series of brilliant deals from the masterminds behind Brighton’s endlessly profitable model. The Nigerian winger didn’t come as cheaply as some of the club’s biggest success stories, but that’s probably because he has a very high ceiling.
Yohanna was signed from Stockholm-based AIK earlier this summer for a cool £26 million ($34 million), but don’t be surprised if he is sold for a significant profit in the coming years. The 19-year-old had already scored nine goals in just 12 appearances in Sweden’s 2026 season (which runs from April to November) before joining the Seagulls, who had otherwise focused on bolstering their backline with Leeds, Pascal Struijkjk and Tottenham prospect Luka Vuskovicic.
