With the summer deadline approaching and the new Premier League season closing in, there is still plenty of work left across the division. Even so, some clubs have already made major moves, spending heavily and reshaping their squads early.

At this stage, Tottenham Hotspur look to have made the clearest progress. After a 2025-26 campaign that ended with a 17th-place finish and only 41 points, they needed a reset. Roberto De Zerbi’s late arrival proved decisive, and the club have backed him with a wave of early additions designed to lift standards quickly.

The most striking work has come in midfield, where Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes were signed for a combined figure just shy of $250 million. Given the injury problems and lack of control in that area last season, both deals address an obvious weakness. Tonali, 26, and Fernandes, 22, arrive with Premier League experience and the potential to make an immediate impact while still developing further.

Tottenham also needed to tighten up defensively after a season of regular goals conceded. Jan Paul van Hecke is an important addition in that regard, bringing physicality and distribution, while the club have also secured Micky van de Ven on a new contract. That renewal matters, especially with interest from elsewhere building around him.

The free transfer market has been used intelligently too. Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi add depth and experience, while Martin Dúbravka gives cover behind Antonín Kinský. Spurs still want more attacking reinforcements before the window closes, especially with injuries to Mohammed Kudus, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke having caused so many problems last season.

There has also been useful outgoing business. Luka Vušković’s move to Brighton brought in $61.7 million, while Will Lankshear, Alejo Véliz, Alfie Devine and Manor Solomon have all departed for fees that strengthen the club’s position. Radu Drăgușin’s loan to Fiorentina could yet become permanent, and Yves Bissouma has been removed from the wage bill.

Manchester United opened their preseason with a tense 5-4 penalty shootout victory over Leeds United in front of a sold-out Croke Park crowd in Dublin on Wednesday. The match finished level after 90 minutes, but there was still plenty for United to assess, from individual sharpness to a few familiar concerns.

Bryan Mbeumo was the most dangerous player on the pitch and set the tone for the hosts’ goal. After beating his marker in transition, he lifted his head and delivered the final ball for Zirkzee, who finished from close range. Leeds pulled level in the 29th minute when Brenden Aaronson punished a mistake from Tyler Fletcher in midfield, and neither side found another breakthrough before penalties.

Zirkzee’s night was mixed. He scored his second goal of the summer, but he also passed up chances earlier in the match and never fully matched Mbeumo’s influence. The Dutchman has now scored nine goals in 75 appearances since arriving from Bologna, and his uneven showing against Leeds did little to settle the debate over his place in Carrick’s squad. He was withdrawn just after the hour mark.

There was also encouragement for Harry Amass, who made his first preseason start after a string of promising outings. The 19-year-old was neat in possession, showed composure on the touchline, and made sensible choices about when to advance and when to stay back. His one major lapse came after Fletcher’s giveaway, but he recovered well as the game went on.

Senne Lammens made his first appearance of the summer after being handed the No. 1 shirt, producing three saves in 61 minutes and conceding once from a chance he could hardly have stopped. Matheus Cunha also returned, coming on in the 61st minute after his Brazil involvement and recent illness.

Liverpool could be on the brink of a significant change in ownership structure, with a consortium led by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos reportedly closing in on a minority stake in the club.

Reaction among supporters has been split. Some are wary of any fresh investment, with memories still vivid of the Tom Hicks and George Gillett era, when the club was left in financial ruin before being sold to FSG in 2010. That history has naturally raised questions about the motives behind the proposed deal.

Others see the reported $1.9 billion injection of funds in a different light, believing it could strengthen Liverpool’s position in the market and allow for more ambitious transfer activity.

On Monday, it emerged that Bezos’s consortium was “closing in on a deal” to buy into Liverpool, with talks said to have “accelerated quickly”. There is no confirmed timetable, but the report suggests the matter could be wrapped up this week or next.

Even so, the timing would not alter Liverpool’s business in the current window. The club are already being linked with further moves after bringing in Jérémy Jacquet ($80 million), Victor Muñoz ($46 million) and Ronald Araújo on loan, yet more additions are still viewed as necessary for Andoni Iraola’s first season in charge.

Supporter frustration has been building over the lack of activity, although Liverpool are currently working on a major deal for Bradley Barcola that could rise to nearly $200 million. They are also said to be interested in his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Ibrahim Mbaye, with more recruitment in other positions still possible before the Sep. 1 deadline.

The key point, though, is that new investment does not automatically unlock extra spending power. The Premier League’s Squad Cost Ratio rules restrict spending according to revenue, not ownership wealth, so the money available in the transfer market is not dictated by who owns the club.

“The deal could be a straight share sale by FSG to the new group, in which case there would be no financial implications for the club itself,” soccer finance expert Kieran Maguire told BBC Sport.

Spirit of Shankly have also asked for clarity, questioning what a 30 percent stake would bring in return and whether the consortium would have any role in control or board representation. Their concern, they say, is whether the proposed buyers have the club’s best interests at heart.