Arsenal have moved on from their chase of Vinicius Jr after he signed a contract extension with Real Madrid and the Gunners have now reignited their interest in Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez while PSG’s Bradley Barcola is also on their list. Bruno Guimaraes has completed a medical at Arsenal ahead of his £75m move from Newcastle United. The 28-year-old midfielder is now expected to be announced as a new Gooner imminently. The deal represents a key piece of business of Mikel Arteta ahead of Arsenal’s title defence.Rodri looks set to leave Manchester City amid interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid. The World Cup winning captain is into the final year of his contract and favours a move to Barca – though an initial offer of £38m has been rejected.Liverpool, meanwhile, also want to sign Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain and have lined up his teammate Ibrahim Mbaye in what could be a double swoop for Andoni Iraola’s side. The European champions may be willing to let them go, especially following Maghnes Akliouche signing from Monaco, while the Reds also look to have secured much-needed defender help with ex-Barcelona captain Ronald Araujo set for a loan deal, with an option to buy, at Anfield.Elsewhere, Manchester United have added to their ranks by bringing in a teenage midfielder and they are exploring their options at left-back with Lewis Hall reportedly now set on a move to Old Trafford, but Newcastle are determined to stop the exodus and insist he is not for sale. Follow all of the latest news, rumours and done deals with our live blog below:Newcastle sporting director admits Bruno Guimaraes wanted to leaveRoss Wilson, Newcastle’s sporting director, has revealed that Bruno Guimaraes expressed his desire to leave the club – providing little choice as they granted him a switch to Arsenal."What we had to weigh up was, very respectfully from Bruno with his behaviour towards us, very emotionally as well, he effectively told us he wanted to leave and move on," he said."That doesn't mean he can go, but it certainly plays a part in what our thinking is when we hit a certain range of number."There's no part in saying it was part of our strategy and was in our thinking this summer - it wasn't."But we have got to be flexible and react to things that happen."Bruno Guimaraes has joined Arsenal (Action Images/Reuters)Luke Baker8 August 2026 12:25Why Arsenal had to sign Bruno Guimaraes – and how he fits into Mikel Arteta’s midfieldIt’s a significant signing for Arsenal – and perhaps one they had to make. Jamie Braidwood explains:Luke Baker8 August 2026 12:15Manchester City reject first Barcelona bid for RodriBarcelona have had a bid for Rodri rejected by Manchester City.The Spanish champions offered €45m (£38.7m) for Spain’s World Cup-winning captain, which City do not deem a serious price for the Ballon d’Or winner.No meaningful talks have taken place between the clubs yet with City reluctant to enter negotiations until there is the prospect of a deal near their valuation of the midfielder.Real Madrid have also shown interest in the midfielder.(PA)Richard Jolly8 August 2026 12:10Arsenal hold nerve after missing out on Vinicius Jr with three alternative targetsArsenal intend to hold their nerve and assess alternative options after missing out on Vinicius Jr with the Real Madrid superstar signing a contract extension at the Bernabeu on Thursday.Mikel Arteta is still eager to bring in a new left winger, though, with three notable options still on the table.Arsenal made a serious bid to sign Vinicius Jr, with an agreement close on personal terms, but the 26-year-old ultimately opted to commit his future to Madrid in a deal until 2032.Luke Baker8 August 2026 12:09Liverpool on the brink of loan deal for Ronald AraujoLiverpool are close to agreeing a loan deal for Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo to give them much-needed reinforcements in defence.The Merseyside club are looking to complete a loan with an option to buy the Uruguay international.The 27-year-old former Barcelona captain is set to become Andoni Iraola’s second signing at Anfield, after winger Victor Munoz.Araujo, primarily a central defender but who can also play right-back, will help give Iraola more strength in depth in both positions.Luke Baker8 August 2026 11:56Transfer newsWelcome to the latest transfer news from The Independent. There’s plenty going on today, so let’s dive in.Luke Baker8 August 2026 11:55