Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Steve in St Albans: Nottingham Forest seem to have run out of steam. Where do they need to strengthen to be able to challenge next season - and who are their likely transfer targets?

Nick Mashiter: Hi Steve. It remains a fantastic season for Forest, despite the late drop in form. I imagine the club would have been delighted with their season if it was offered to them in August.

Chris Wood needs support and Liam Delap is an ideal signing, especially with his £30m release clause being triggered now that Ipswich have been relegated. It means he will be within Forest's reach and the striker would be a perfect fit.

I'm told he is someone who will pick his next move very carefully, so regular football and a European campaign will be tempting.

Nuno Espirito Santo likes to work with a smaller squad though, so don't expect to see a huge influx of players coming in. The club was surgical last summer though - adding in key men such as Elliot Anderson and Nikola Milenkovic - so expect them to take a similar approach this time.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport chief football news reporter

Andy, Surrey: I’m a West Ham fan and we need a squad overhaul (I feel I say that every season!) and wondering how you think we should strengthen the squad and which players we’ll have to sell to bring players in?

Simon Stone: I touched on this in my match report on Sunday. Clearly, the much-hyped recruitment campaign under Tim Steidten and Julen Lopetegui last summer went badly wrong. Aaron Wan-Bissaka did well and Max Kilman was OK but Crysencio Summerville, Guido Rodriguez, Luis Guilherme and Niclas Fullkrug failed to reach the heights expected on a consistent basis.

Evan Ferguson came in as an answer to striking issues in the winter window, but couldn't establish himself. Now, West Ham need to find a way of funding Graham Potter's squad-building plans because the Declan Rice money has gone, there is no European football, and West Ham's league position is costing them Premier League prize money.

With Lucas Paqueta's future still uncertain, selling Mohammed Kudus is now a distinct possibility. The massive concern for me is around skipper Jarrod Bowen. West Ham could get a lot of money for him, but he feels like someone you build a squad around. Head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay will be a key figure in identifying potential targets, having worked with Potter since his days in Sweden. I would think more dynamism in midfield will be a major aim, as well as a consistent goalscorer.

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Manchester City spend almost £180m in the winter transfer window in a departure from recent trends by the Pep Guardiola side.

They had not previously made a significant January signing since £57m was spent on Aymeric Laporte in 2018.

But Guardiola signed Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush (£59m), Palmeiras defender Vitor Reis (£29.6m) and Lens centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov (£33.6m) before adding FC Porto midfielder Nico Gonzalez (£49.9m) on the deadline day.

City's only chance of winning a silverware will be in the FA Cup where they will face Crystal Palace in the final on Saturday.

And with them 18 points Premier League champions Liverpool with two games to go, Guardiola could once again be looking a busy transfer window this summer.

Arsenal

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The Gunners are once again the nearly-team after losing out on the Premier League title race for a third successive season and dropping out of the Champions League at the semi-final stage.

Arsenal's sporting director Edu, who has played a massive role in their title challenges, left the club in November, with his replacement Andrea Berta recently named.

Having worked for Italian sides Parma and Genoa before joining Atletico Madrid, will Berta change the Gunners’ transfer strategy to finally get them over the line?

Players coming in? Will Arsenal finally buy an out-and-out striker? They failed to bring Ollie Watkins to the club in January, with Sporting's Viktor Gyokeres and Newcastle's Alexander Isak reported as targets in the past.

Mikel Arteta will also hope to secure the services of Real Sociedad defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi, who has been heavily linked to the club.

Players leaving? Raheem Sterling will likely return to Chelsea after his loan move failed to work out, while Thomas Partey is out of contract this summer.

Will injury-hit Gabriel Jesus be out the door?

Ask Me Anything

BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team have received some transfer-related questions.

Here’s one about a key facet of the modern transfer market.

Keith in Sussex asked: How do PSR and FFP really work? Can you give examples of spending and transfers and how it impacts limits?

In the financial accounts of clubs, players count as ‘assets’. Each asset has an amortised value.

It has become common practice in football for clubs to amortise (spread out) the transfer fee they pay for any new signing.

For example, if a new player is signed for £80m on a four-year contract, amortisation means that fee is listed as £20m per year for four years in the club accounts. Spreading costs this way allows clubs to abide by FFP and PSR rules more easily.

That could then allow them to spend more money on new players in a single window, because as far the financial records show, the full cost of the transfer fees they agree to pay isn't counted until far further down the line.

Youth players automatically have very low amortised values, because little or no transfer fee was paid for them in the first place. Whatever price they are then sold for can be counted as almost 'pure profit' in the accounts.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport chief football news reporter

Dan, a Bradford fan: Does the early transfer window apply to lower league clubs - or just the Premier League?

Simon Stone: The 'good news' Dan is yes it does. I just had to check as there was a little bit of confusion but the Football League had the option to either stick with the normal mid-June date or align itself with the Premier League and went for the latter option. The window was created by world governing body FIFA for teams in the Club World Cup but accepted they had to offer the option to widen it to any side in that specific national association. So, because Chelsea and Manchester City can sign players, so can Tranmere.

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All thoughts welcome as usual on the page. You might be like Anon at 09:27 and just want to give us an overview of what your club needs this summer.

Stick your name on the messages, though. It's nice for us to say hello to you.

Our football reporters are beavering away as we speak, so if you have a question to send over, WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only, standard message rates apply) is the way to do it.

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Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim is hopeful he can keep captain Bruno Fernandes at the club amid interest from Saudi Arabia.

Fernandes' contract runs to 2027 but the Portugal playmaker has been the subject of interest from Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal, who are thought to be willing to offer a huge salary for the 30-year-old to move before next month's Club World Cup.

Amorim knows he must sell players in order to fund an extensive summer squad rebuilding exercise and that situation will be even more acute if United fail to win the Europa League and secure qualification for next season's Champions League.

Fernandes has been a standout in the United squad, scoring 19 goals and claimed 18 assists so far this season.

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If we're talking strikers, Alexander Isak is a man high in demand.

The Newcastle frontman is at the top of Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta's wishlist.

And a move for the Sweden international has almost universal backing from those behind the scenes at Emirates Stadium.

Well-placed sources have told BBC Sport that Isak would be open to a move to London, though he is likely to have other options - with Liverpool also interested.

All of his suitors are likely to run into the same obstacle - cost.

There is an acknowledgement at Arsenal that signing Isak would wipe out the vast majority of their budget - and with other positions to strengthen, a deal for the 25-year-old may be unlikely.

Newcastle maintain Isak, who has three years left on his contract, is not for sale.

Should they qualify for the Champions League, that would add another layer of difficulty for any club with genuine designs on signing him.

But, as ever in any marketplace, money talks and Arsenal have not closed the door on a move for Isak just yet.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport chief football news reporter

Joe in Bromley: This is a question for Simon Stone. With Jean-Philippe Mateta creeping toward the exit door, my beloved Eagles will need a new striker this summer. A proper fox in the box is what we need – and we haven’t had one of those since the brilliant Dwight Gayle. Any ideas about who we might look to recruit?

Simon Stone: Gosh. Nice, easy one to start.

Firstly, strikers are the most sought-after players just now. So many clubs need reliable goal scorers, from Arsenal all the way down. Obviously, Palace have a shot at Europe in the FA Cup final. Winning at Wembley and European football next season is a persuasive argument to put to Mateta about staying, which is the best-case scenario. After that, it is a question of assessing the younger players who have done well elsewhere.

Jonathan David has long been viewed as a Premier League target, the same is true of Benjamin Sesko at RB Leipzig. Dusan Vlahovic has not had the greatest season at Juventus, but is highly-rated across the continent, while Moise Kean and Ademola Lookman both have Premier League experience, even if their stats in England are not that great. This is not an exhaustive list by any means and competition for all these players will drive the price up.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Chris: Chelsea surely need a striker. Who do you think is the most likely at the moment?

Nizaar Kinsella: Hi Chris. If I were to hazard a guess then I would say Ipswich striker Liam Delap is the most likely, given the connection key recruiter Joe Shields has to the player. His £30m release clause will also be seen as an opportunity by those at Stamford Bridge.

In saying that, Chelsea are quite guarded on which player is most likely to join.

One reason is that in Delap's case, for example, Manchester United are in the race. Another reason is Arsenal want a big name striker, with both clubs also looking at Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko and Sporting's Viktor Gyokeres.

Even Victor Osimhen from Napoli (on loan at Galatasaray) isn't being ruled out at this stage, but Chelsea found his wage demands prohibitive when negotiating for him last summer.

I think Chelsea will be aggressive in signing a striker and end up with a capable option to complement Nicolas Jackson.

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Premier League's Profit and sustainability rules (PSR) have hindered clubs from spending big money in recent transfer windows.

Everton and Nottingham Forest received points deductions last season for breaking the league's spending rules.

Though no clubs have fallen foul of the rules this year, it will be something the clubs will be considering as they look to bolster their roster.

So what exactly is PSR?

Premier League introduced the profit and sustainability rules during the 2015-16 season.

It came from demands to protect clubs from overspending after Portsmouth became the first - and so far only - Premier League club to go into administration.

The rules allow Premier League clubs to post losses of no more than £105m over a three-year reporting cycle.

Spending on academies, infrastructure and community projects are exempt from profit and sustainability submissions.

Image source, Getty Images

If Real Madrid want Trent Alexander-Arnold in time for the Club World Cup in June, they better get a move on.

According to Sky Sports,, external the La Liga side have still not made an offer to sign Alexander-Arnold early - so he can feature in the group games of the 32-team tournament - a week after contacting Liverpool to ask about the right-back playing for them next month in the US.

Image source, Getty Images

Trent Alexander-Arnold confirmed last week that he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season.

The England right-back, who has been at the club since he was six, is out of contract on 30 June and is now expected to join Real Madrid.

The Spanish giants are reportedly negotiating with Liverpool for Alexander-Arnold to be part of their squad for the Club World Cup, which kicks off on 14 June.

"After 20 years at Liverpool Football Club, now is the time for me to confirm that I will be leaving at the end of the season," he said.

"This is easily the hardest decision I've ever made in my life."

The Liverpool-born defender has made 352 appearances, scored 23 goals and provided 86 assists for the Reds since making his debut in 2016.

The 26-year-old has helped them win this season's Premier League title under Arne Slot and also won the Premier League under the Reds' former manager Jurgen Klopp in 2019-20.

His other trophies include the Champions League in 2018-19, the 2022 FA Cup and two League Cups.

Please remember to put your names on messages as you send in your questions to our reporters.

With business being brought forward this summer, players could be negotiating transfers in the build-up to important matches.

The Champions League final takes place in Munich on 31 May. After that, there are Nations League semi-finals and finals and World Cup qualifying double-headers. In Europe, those games take place 6-10 June.

Image source, Getty Images

The 2025 winter transfer window was in sharp contrast to the 2024 edition as clubs, most notably Manchester City, splurged plenty to strengthen their squad.

But it was Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr who spent the most on a single transfer as they acquired Jhon Duran from Aston Villa.

Paris St-Germain also signed Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from Napoli - a move that has worked out well for the Champions League finalists while City were by far the biggest spenders.

So, here's a look at the biggest transfers from the most recent window...

1. Jhon Duran (Aston Villa to Al Nassr) - £64.4m
2. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli to Paris St-Germain) - £59.1m
3. Omar Marmoush (Eintracht Frankfurt to Man City) - £59m
4. Nico Gonzalez (Porto to Man City) - £49.9m
5. Xavi Simons (Paris St-Germain to RB Leipzig) - £41.2m
6. Galeno (Porto to Al Ahli) - £41.7m
7. Abdukodir Khusanov (RC Lens to Man City) - £33.7m
8. Vitor Reis (Palmeiras to Man City) - £29.6m
9. Luiz Henrique (Botafogo to Zenit) - £27.9m
10. Santiago Gimenez (Feyenoord to AC Milan) - £26.6m

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City were the biggest spenders during the winter transfer window which was open between 1 January and 3 February.

City spent around £180m during the window as Pep Guardiola tried to salvage a faltering title defence in the Premier League.

Tottenham signed goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky from Slavia Prague and also convinced Mathys Tel to join them on loan from Bayern Munich on the deadline day.

Unai Emery's Aston Villa brought in Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio and Axel Disasi on loan while Donyell Malen joined from Borussia Dortmund.

Manchester United, meanwhile, tried to bolster their defence with the addition of Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, Liverpool and Newcastle United were among the clubs that did not see any incomings during the winter.

Nothing official has been announced yet but according to the Mail, external and Sky Sports,, external the deadline for both transfer windows this summer has been brought forward to 19:00 BST, four hours earlier than the usual 23:00 cut off time.

This, according to both publications, has happened with the backing of the Premier League, EFL and Football Association and is aimed at ensuring a more normal working pattern for those involved. It is understood other leagues in Europe will implement a similar change.

Image source, Getty Images

The transfer season is almost upon us and the rumour mill is already in full flow.

Be it a big-money move or a cheeky free transfer, clubs from across Europe are scrambling to find the missing pieces of their puzzles.

Big names? You bet. Real Madrid's interest in Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has been one of the worst-kept transfer secrets while Wolves attacker Matheus Cunha is one of the top priorities for a reeling Manchester United.

Newcastle's Alexander Isak will also be in high demand with clubs including Premier League champions and Arsenal in the hunt for a prolific striker.

We will be keeping tabs on all that and more, so stick with us for the remainder of the day.