The never-ending whispers over secretive transfer negotiations prove a test for both reporters and fans alike

A game of poker will unfold between clubs, writes Jack Rathborn, and publications will be working hard to gather information about each team’s newest recruits

Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku appears to be on the verge of returning to Stamford Bridge (PA)

The Premier League season is almost here but the action on the pitch is masked by the shadow of frenetic transfer activity off it.

Fans furiously debate their team’s fortunes, with extreme views sparked by their club’s business in the market, despite the mysterious nature of some signings who have yet to showcase their gifts.

Manchester City splashed £100m on Jack Grealish, and a comparable amount will soon change hands between Chelsea and Inter Milan for Romelu Lukaku, who is primed for a fascinating return to Stamford Bridge and English football.

The Belgian has transformed his game since departing Manchester United and now has an opportunity to prove his critics wrong at the club he supported as a boy.

The transfer market, as always, has prompted intrigue, with many surmising that the European champions may challenge Pep Guardiola’s side after adding a cutting edge alongside the frustrating but effective work of Timo Werner.

And yet, despite Man City’s tag as favourites, their greatest ever goalscorer, Sergio Aguero, has departed, and with it perhaps the only recognisable No 9 that Guardiola is willing to start in big games, given the recent treatment of Gabriel Jesus.

A game of poker over the final days of the window will unfold between clubs, with the pursuit of Harry Kane headlining the game inside the game. City have yet to show their hand, yet Tottenham appear prepared to wait it out, especially with three years remaining on the England striker’s contract.

Inflated optimism permeates the one league seemingly resisting the economic strain of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has partially been the undoing of Barcelona and, to a lesser extent, Real Madrid’s dominance in Europe.

Leicester’s efficiency in the market will be tested once more, while West Ham supporters caught a whiff of glory under David Moyes last season. Aston Villa, too, enter the new season bullish, since returning a haul after casting off their most beloved son for £100m.

The never-ending whispers also prove a test for both reporters and fans alike, eager to discover the truth behind secretive negotiations. Publications gather information about each club’s newest recruits and how they might fit each side’s puzzle.

And yet after routinely scrolling through rumours for weeks, the debates will finally have context when that first ball is kicked between Brentford and Arsenal at the Brentford Community Stadium on Friday evening. Once again, the addictive transfer window has filled the void to provide the feeling that football never truly goes away.

Yours,

Jack Rathborn

Assistant sports editor