We are expecting a very busy deadline day as the summer transfer window closes at 6pm ET and the transfer news keeps flooding in.
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The 2023 summer transfer window opened on June 14, 2023 for Premier League clubs and it will close at 6pm ET on September 1, 2023.
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From superstars like Declan Rice (Arsenal), Moises Caicedo (Chelsea) and Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) and Neymar (Al Hilal) making their moves and plenty of money set to be spent in the final hours of the window, it has been a record-breaking summer for Premier League clubs in terms of transfer spending.
Americans Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Yunus Musah (AC Milan) and Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin, on loan) have made moves to join Champions League teams, while Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest) has moved for regular minutes and so has Tyler Adams (Bournemouth). Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco), Ricardo Pepi, Malik Tillman and Sergino Dest (all PSV) have all made big moves too as high-profile USMNT players have made big summer moves.
Below we roundup the latest transfer news, done deals, reports and rumors and give our analysis on what’s going on as Joe Prince-Wright (JPW), Nicholas Mendola (NM) and Andy Edwards (AE) will guide you through a hectic last few hour of the window.
The final deals completed on transfer deadline day:
- Brennan Johnson: Nottingham Forest to Tottenham - reportedly $60 million
- Ryan Gravenberch: Bayern Munich to Liverpool - reportedly $43 million
- Sofyan Amrabat: Fiorentina to Manchester United (loan) - reportedly $11 million loan fee, plus $22 million option to buy, plus $5 million more in add-ons
- Jean-Ricner Bellegarde: Strasbourg to Wolves - reportedly $16 million
- Rob Holding: Arsenal to Crystal Palace - reportedly $5 million
- Luis Sinisterra: Leeds United to Bournemouth (loan)
- Neal Maupay: Everton to Brentford (loan)
- Albert Sambi Lokonga: Arsenal to Luton Town (loan)
From a boy to a man. Forever one of our own.
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) September 1, 2023
Thank you for everything, Brennan ❤️ pic.twitter.com/WMvv4e3YMr
Still in the works/deal sheet extensions:
- Ibrahim Sangare: PSV to Nottingham Forest - reportedly $37 million
- Alex Iwobi: Everton to Fulham - reportedly $27 million
- Divock Origi: AC Milan to Nottingham Forest (loan)
- Andrew Omobamidele: Norwich to Nottingham Forest
With less than three hours remaining in the transfer window, here are the latest reports from around the Premier League:
- Liverpool remain on course to sign midfielder Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich, despite the Bundesliga champions failing to sign Joao Palhinha from Fulham on deadline day.
- Same goes for Tottenham with Brennan Johnson. Both deals are seemingly just awaiting formal announcements.
- On the flip side of Johnson’s $56-million move, Nottingham Forest remain very busy, with Ivorian international midfielder Ibrahim Sangare now linked with a $37-million move from PSV.
With less than four hours remaining in the transfer window, here are the latest reports from around the Premier League:
- Philippe Coutinho is close to joining Qatari side Al Duhail after being deemed surplus to requirements by Aston Villa boss Unai Emery. The 31-year-old Brazilian attacker, who left Liverpool and signed for Barcelona for $192 million in January 2017, scored six goals and assisted three more in 43 games for Aston Villa across parts of three different seasons (all competitions).
- After two mostly disappointing seasons at Leicester (9 goals in 53 Premier League appearances), Patson Daka is reportedly set to join Bournemouth on loan with an option to by. The 24-year-old Zambian international striker joined from Red Bull Salzburg for $33 million in the summer of 2021.
- Nottingham Forest aren’t done yet, as they frantically spend $63 million of incoming Brennan Johnson funds before the transfer window closes. Now, it’s Divock who is reportedly the subject of a late loan approach. Origi scored two goals in 27 league appearances for AC Milan last season.
As the reports continue to flood in, let’s take another quick look at the confirmed deals so far on deadline day:
- Jonny Evans: free agent to Manchester United - Jonny Evans has returned to Manchester United on what will presumably be a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency basis… and would you look at that, Manchester United find themselves in something of an emergency moment regarding their center backs already this season. Evans left Leicester when his contract this summer after making 13 Premier League appearances last season.
- Callum Hudson-Odoi: Chelsea to Nottingham Forest - Callum Hudson-Odoi, who is still only 22 years old (somehow), has finally completed a move away from Chelsea and joined Nottingham Forest for $6 million. At multiple points in 2020 and 2021, Chelsea reportedly rejected bids of more than $80 million from Bayern Munich for Hudson-Odoi.
- Nicolas Dominguez: Bologna to Nottingham Forest - 25-year-old Argentine international midfielder Nicolas Dominguez has officially signed for Forest for a fee believed to be in the region of $15 million, with midfielder Remo Freuler also going the other way.
With just under six hours remaining in the transfer window, here are the latest reports from around the Premier League:
- Joao Palhinha’s proposed transfer from Fulham to Bayern Munich is off despite the 28-year-old midfielder traveling to Munich on Friday. The deal broke down after Fulham were unable to secure a replacement for their Portuguese star before the German transfer window closed, according to a report from The Athletic. Tottenham’s Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg reportedly rejected a move to Fulham earlier on deadline day.
- Leeds United would like to keep hold of Colombian international winger Luis Sinisterra, but the recently relegated Whites are facing competition from Premier League side Bournemouth, who would like to take the 24-year-old on loan, as well as “reports of interest from other clubs cropping,” according to local reports. Sinisterra scored five times in 19 appearances (13 starts) for Leeds in the PL last season.
- Arsenal could be set to let Rob Holding leave the club on deadline day, with the 27-year-old defender reportedly undergoing a medical in south London ahead of a $5-million transfer to Crystal Palace.
As the reports continue to flood in, let’s take a quick look at the confirmed deals so far on deadline day:
- Matheus Nunes: Wolves to Manchester City - The Portuguese international midfielder has joined City in a $67 million deal. Nunes is a silky two-way midfielder who can play in multiple positions and he gives Pep Guardiola extra solidity in midfield. This is another very savvy signing from Man City.
- Sergio Reguilon: Tottenham to Manchester United (loan) - Spanish left back Reguilon has joined United after they lost both Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia to injury. He has been out of favor for a long time now at Spurs and this is a great opportunity for Reguilon to get his career back on track.
- Cole Palmer: Manchester City to Chelsea - One of the biggest shocks of the window was City academy graduate Palmer heading to Chelsea for $50 million. The winger will add quality to Mauricio Pochettino’s attacking options and we all know how good Poch is at developing young talent. Palmer is basically the northern English version of Riyad Mahrez and his ceiling is extremely high. If he gets regular minutes, watch him soar.
- Ansu Fati: Barcelona to Brighton (loan) - Again, another big shock but this underlines how far the Seagulls have come. Fati wants to rejuvenate his career after so many injuries and Brighton seems like the perfect place to do it.
- James McAtee: Manchester City to Sheffield United (loan) - Another City youngster heading out on loan and McAtee is heading back to the Blades for a second-straight season on loan. The England youth international excelled on loan at Bramall Lane last season and it works out for the best for his development that he’s heading back to Sheffield United to play regularly. This time in the Premier League.
It appears Daniel Levy and Tottenham have a busy final day of the summer window planned.
Ange Postecoglou has said many times in recent days that Spurs need to trim their squad and move players on and it appears they are also planning to bring in plenty of new faces too.
A report from ESPN says that Tottenham are focusing on signing three players on deadline day.
Nottingham Forest winger Brennan Johnson is their main target and could cost up to $63 million, while Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher and Lloyd Kelly from Bournemouth are also said to be interesting Postecoglou’s side.
Our partners in the UK at Sky Sports say that Tottenham have now agreed a transfer fee with Forest for Johnson and he’s heading to London to have a medical. This will be an intriguing move for Spurs and Johnson certainly fits the profile of player Ange wants to work with.
Okay, now it is starting to get spicy!
Per Fabrizio Romano, there is an agreement in place between Manchester United and Fiorentina for Sofyan Amrabat.
It is believed Amrabat will head to United on loan and the Morocco midfielder, 27, has been waiting for this move all summer long.
He shares agents with Erik ten Hag and the Dutch-born midfielder was a revelation for Morocco at the 2022 World Cup. His combative qualities in midfield are exactly what United need to balance things out and this will be a seriously good addition to Erik ten Hag’s starting lineup.
Sofyan Amrabat to Manchester United, here we go! Agreement in place — more to follow 🚨🔴 #MUFC pic.twitter.com/xWx2g5kodx
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 1, 2023
Okay, who predicted this deal at the start of the window, heck, even at the start of the week?
Oh, you did? Well, I suggest you go out and buy a lottery ticket right now. Go!
Anyway, Ansu Fati has completed his move to Brighton from Barcelona as the Spanish international forward arrives in the Premier League.
Fati is still believed to be one of the top young talents in Spanish football but some serious injuries have curtailed his progress at Barcelona in recent seasons. Still, at 20 years of age and on a loan deal, this is a punt worth taking for the Seagulls.
Adding Fati to this already stacked Brighton attack is going to be seriously entertaining as Roberto De Zerbi continues to go all-out for entertainment at the Amex.
Fati and Mitoma on the wings for Brighton? Oh my goodness.
There are plenty of developing deals around the Premier League and here is a look at some of the players who appear to be on the move in the final few hours of the window:
- Alex Iwobi: Everton to Fulham - Our partners in the UK at Sky Sports say Iwobi is heading to Craven Cottage in a deal worth over $30 million. Iwobi has been keen for the Toffees over the last 12 months, while Fulham are braced to lose influential midfielder Joao Palhinha so need to strengthen that area of the pitch.
- Ibrahim Sangare: PSV Eindhoven to Nottingham Forest - This would be an incredible move for Forest as Sangare has long been linked with a move to the Premier League. Per our partners in the UK at Sky Sports, Sangare is heading to England to have his medical after a $37 million transfer fee was agreed. It looks like Forest are going to soften the blow of losing Brennan Johnson by significantly upgrading their midfield.
- Joao Palhinha: Fulham to Bayern Munich - Speaking of Palhinha, per Fabrizio Romano he has flown to Munich and has had his medical as he aims to wrap up his move to Bayern. Palhinha was sensational last season in his debut PL campaign and is one of the best ball-winners around.
- Che Adams: Southampton to Wolves - According to The Telegraph appears Wolves are focusing on signing Scotland international Che Adams from Southampton on loan. Gary O’Neil lost Matheus Nunes and has some money to spend as Wolves try to strengthen their squad in the final hours of the window. They definitely need more firepower and Adams is a solid Premier League striker. However, our partners in the UK at Sky Sports believe the deal is close to collapsing. Watch this space...
Wow. Just wow.
A report from David Ornstein says that Liverpool turned down an offer from Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad for Mohamed Salah.
Per another report from ESPN’s Mark Ogden, the offer for Salah was for up to $190 million.
Salah, 31, is said to be having his head turned by these offers from Saudi Arabia but per these reports Liverpool have rejected the bid and now consider the matter closed.
Per our partners in the UK at Sky Sports, Al-Ittihad are willing to pay Salah more than Cristiano Ronaldo and make him the highest-paid player in Saudi Arabia.
The Egyptian King will no doubt be the subject of more bids from Saudi Arabia in the coming days because the transfer window for Saudi Pro League clubs shuts later in September. Something to keep an eye on...
Good morning everyone, and Happy Deadline Day!
We will keep you updated all day long on the latest deals going on in the Premier League.
Remember: the summer transfer window shuts at 6pm ET for Premier League clubs.
We are expecting plenty of deals to happen between now and then, and maybe even slightly later as PL clubs scramble to sign players and get deal sheets in to request a short extension to complete transfers.
Buckle up, it’s about to get wild...
Dean Henderson is finally the no-question No. 1 at a Premier League club after becoming a serial winner on loan from Manchester United.
Henderson, 26, has been sold to Crystal Palace and signed a five-year deal with the Eagles, ironically unseating another oft-loaned former Man United player in Sam Johnstone.
Here’s what Palace chairman Steve Parish had to say about the move, which reportedly carries a $25 million price tag once add-ons are met:
“Dean is a fantastic addition to our squad and goalkeeping unit. We have been long-term admirers of Dean’s, following his ascension through the ranks at Manchester United and England, but also his impressive achievements whilst on loan at Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United.”
Manchester United is on the verge of getting cover at left back after injuries to Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia.
And it’s coming from a surprising place, as Spurs will apparently sanction a loan move for Sergio Reguilon.
The 26-year-old went on loan to Atletico Madrid last season, playing 12 times for Diego Simeone’s men.
That followed two seasons at Tottenham that included 52 Premier League appearances. Reguilon scored two goals with seven assists during that time.
Spurs will be thrilled to get his wages off the books though it’s an odd way to do it — helping a direct threat to their top-end plans.
Chelsea have finally been able to find a new home for Romelu Lukaku as he is heading back to Italy and has joined Roma on loan.
Lukaku spent last season on loan at Inter Milan and was not in the plans of Chelsea’s owners for this season.
The Belgian striker has been training on his own for most of this summer as Mauricio Pochettino could not use him at Chelsea due to his impending departure.
Lukaku will be linking up with Jose Mourinho once again. Also, the drone shots from his announcement video outside the Coliseum (see below) are a thing of beauty.
Tutte le strade portano a... 🟡🔴#ASRoma pic.twitter.com/dYVoAW3CBW
— AS Roma (@OfficialASRoma) August 31, 2023
Matheus Nunes is set to complete his move to Manchester City but Wolves aren’t delighted with the way the Portuguese national team midfielder handled things.
Nunes reportedly refused to train over the last few days as the deal was being finalized and Wolves boss Gary O’Neil said he would have handled things differently if he was Nunes.
All of that aside, Nunes is heading to Manchester City and the silky two-way midfielder has got his dream move.
🗣️ “We understand that players want to play for Manchester City - Would I have dealt with it the same way? No I wouldn’t.”
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) August 31, 2023
Gary O'Neil says he wouldn’t have gone down the same road that Matheus Nunes did to force through a move away from Wolves if he was in his shoes. pic.twitter.com/Ffoj77BRZZ
Fulham boss Marco Silva has revealed there is interest in signing Joao Palhinha late in the summer transfer window.
The Portuguese international has been linked with several huge teams and our partners at Sky Germany say Bayern Munich will pay up to $65 million for Palhinha and the player wants the move.
Palhinha was a revelation at Fulham in his debut Premier League campaign and the chance to play for Bayern and be in the Champions League is something the combative midfielder deserves.
That said, it will have to be a huge offer for Fulham to consider selling a player who is the heartbeat of their side and is hugely important to the entire balance of the team.
🗣️ “Anything can happen in the next 36 hours.”
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) August 31, 2023
Marco Silva on the future of João Palhinha with rumoured interest from Bayern Munich. 🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/NcTCAREjVe
Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher is wanted by both Tottenham and Bayern Munich as the England international is set to leave the Blues.
Gallagher is extremely valuable to Chelsea as a homegrown player and if he’s sold this summer the entire transfer fee Chelsea get for him can be offset against the massive amounts of money they’ve spent.
The Guardian and The Telegraph are both reporting that Gallagher is weighing up his options.
Per the Guardian’s report, Tottenham will have to move on Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg first if they’re going to sign Gallagher. In theory, having a galloping demon like Gallagher at the heart of Spurs’ midfield would be a huge bonus for Ange Postecoglou and slot in perfectly with the way he wants to play.
It is believed that Bayern wanted to loan Gallagher but Chelsea want to sell and both reports say that Chelsea want over $63 million for Gallagher, which seems quite steep considering everyone knows they want to offload him to balance the books.
But in reality, Gallagher is an England international who has a lot of experience under his belt at the age of 23.
Sofyan Amrabat has been linked with a move to the Premier League all summer long and it appears he could finally be heading to England.
Per a report from Fabrizio Romano, United are in talks with Fiorentina to sign the Moroccan midfielder.
The Italian club are said to be open to a loan deal for Amrabat. The player has been ‘waiting since June’ to sign for United so obviously he wants the move.
Is Amrabat the kind of player United should want? Yep. 100 percent. Erik ten Hag needs extra stability in central midfield and Amrabat alongside Casemiro is a duo to fear.
United clearly need to improve their balance in central midfield and Amrabat arriving would solve it.
Manchester United preparing formal bid for Sofyan Amrabat, always been top target 🚨🔴 #MUFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 30, 2023
NO loan proposal sent to Fiorentina, just informal talks.
Fiorentina could be open to loan but with obligation to buy based on conditions.
🇲🇦 Sofyan, waiting for Man Utd since June. pic.twitter.com/p1VYlwPgIf
It appears that Liverpool have made their move for Ryan Gravenberch as Jurgen Klopp aims to add extra defensive solidity to his midfield.
A report from The Athletic says that Liverpool are in talks with Bayern Munich over a permanent transfer for Gravenberch.
The Dutch midfielder is said to want the move and the versatile player will be very handy for Liverpool as they juggle the Premier League, Europa League and domestic cup competitions this season.
Gravenberch, 21, has long been linked with a move to the Premier League and on paper he seems like a very good replacement for Fabinho in the holding role. Like Fabinho, he can also play in defense and that will come in very handy.
🚨 EXCL: Liverpool in negotiations with Bayern Munich for permanent signing of Ryan Gravenberch. Not guaranteed to happen but clubs discussing price + if finances right formal offer to follow. 21yo wants #LFC. #FCBayern would need to replace @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/PoGlOXm21W
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) August 30, 2023
Updating a previous story: Could Tottenham’s driver seat status for Barcelona’s Ansu Fati last all of a few hours?
Fabrizio Romano says that Brighton and Hove Albion could soon seal Fati’s signature for a loan campaign at the Amex Stadium.
The move would be a coup for the Seagulls, who get terrific depth in attack for their four competition season.
Romano also said that Tottenham had been in negotiations for Fati, but Spurs had been focused on Brennan Johnson. It looks like Brighton zeroed in on Fati alone.
Folarin Balogun is back in Ligue 1 following a reported $43 million transfer from Arsenal to AS Monaco, signing a five-year deal.
The 22-year-old USMNT striker scored 22 times and chipped in three assists across all competitions on loan to Reims last season, 21 of those coming in Ligue 1 play.
Arsenal, however, couldn’t find room to give him regular playing time with Eddie Nketiah, Gabriel Jesus, and a flood of attacking talent under the eye of Mikel Arteta.
Balogun is part of next month’s 24-man roster for the USMNT versus Uzbekistan and Oman, and has a goal in his two caps since filing a one-time switch to the USMNT. Gregg Berhalter will be happy to see the talent getting regular playing time.
Multiple reports say that Chelsea has agreed a $57 million deal to bring Cole Palmer from Manchester City.
It would be a bit of a stunner as Palmer seemed to be following the Phil Foden plan under the guidance of Pep Guardiola, but the 21-year-old May birthday is ready to try his hand in a different shade of blue.
Palmer can play anywhere in the midfield and across an attack, and starred in England’s run to the EURO U21 title this summer. He’s scored twice in three appearances for City this season including the UEFA Super Cup and Community Shield.
He has six goals and two assists across 41 senior appearances for City. Chelsea’s young senior roster just keeps getting younger.
Call it a victory for Ange Postecoglou as Barcelona youngster Ansu Fati reportedly prefers a loan to Tottenham as his next stop.
Mundo Deportivo claims that Fati is opting for Tottenham despite reported interest from Liverpool as well as his father’s hopes to see him with Sevilla.
Fati is not yet 21 until Halloween and already has nine caps and two goals for Spain, and he’s an excellent ball mover with a nose for goal. He scored 10 times with five assists across 54 games, but those appearances total just 1,871 minutes.
Could he get more run for Spurs and who would he displace?
It’s a big, big day in the transfer rumor mill for Nottingham Forest, which has been active but not ‘last summer’s transfer tornado’ active this month and last.
The club has added Matt Turner from Arsenal, Anthony Elanga from Manchester United, Andrey Santos (loan) from Chelsea, and Gonzalo Montiel of Sevilla.
Here are some quick notes on the good ship Steve Cooper, as the Forest boss is linked with several new ingredients for his menu.
Three of the four players in question have Premier League ties, two of whom are currently on the books at ‘Big Six’ clubs in London.
Callum Hudson-Odoi: The former ‘next big thing’ is still just 22 — 23 in November — and Hudson-Odoi is a former youth international for Cooper at England. Sky Sports says that Chelsea and Forest have agreed terms on a permanent deal.
Nuno Tavares: This would be a loan move from Arsenal to the City Ground. The Daily Mail says it’d include a $15 million buy option. The 23-year-old fullback scored six times on loan to Marseille last season.
Michy Batshuayi: Once the ‘Batsman’ of Chelsea, Batshuayi turns 30 on October 2 and is coming off two-plus seasons in Turkey. He could pair with Taiwo Awoniyi in a fit better than Emmanuel Dennis, and Batshuayi did manage 36 goals and five assists between Besiktas and Fenerbahce since the end of his loan from Chelsea to Palace in 2021.
Odysseas Vlachodimos: USMNT goalkeepers Matt Turner and Ethan Horvath could have company at the City Ground, and oddly enough it’s the Benfica backstop ticketed as a possible Manchester United replacement for Dean Henderson if the latter left Old Trafford (He, of course, was being pursued by Forest). Vlachodimos is 33-times capped by Greece and has been with Benfica since 2018.
Matheus Nunes short, tempestuous transfer journey from Wolves to Man City looks set to be completed soon.
Multiple reports say Nunes is set to a seal a $60 million move to City after rejected bids and a reported training refusal from the player. Wolves boss Gary O’Neil said as recently as Tuesday that he expected Nunes to stay with the club this season.
The 25-year-old center midfielder is a box-to-box type with plenty of dribbling acumen and may get more of a chance to flaunt his attacking acumen for City than he did at the Molineux. He’s a ball-progressing machine who isn’t afraid to tackle.
Nunes is 11-times capped with a goal for Portugal. He arrived to Wolves from Sporting Lisbon for around $50 million last summer, scoring a goal and an assist in 43 appearances for the Premier League side.
Barely 12 months after moving from Brighton to Chelsea for $75 million, left back Marc Cucurella is reportedly the subject of a loan offer from Manchester United after Luke Shaw picked up an injury that will keep him out for two months (at least). According to the report from David Ornstein, Chelsea are open to letting Cucurella go.
There are, however, lots of details and clauses which must be agreed when it comes to a player of Cucurella’s cost (both in terms of transfer fee and wages). Not to mention, a potential loan-to-buy option in the deal. If a deal does get made, it will likely get done in the final hour(s) just before the transfer window closes.
Cucurella has been an unused substitute in both Premier League games under new manager Mauricio Pochettino. The 25-year-old Spaniard would presumably be signed to start ahead of incumbent Diogo Dalot.
Chelsea striker Romalu Lukaku is reportedly headed back to Italy, where he’ll spend the 2023-24 season on loan to Roma. The 30-year-old Belgian international will reunite with former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, who was in charge at Old Trafford when Lukaku was signed for $96 million in the summer of 2017. Lukaku played a season and a half under Mourinho before the latter was fired, scoring 28 Premier League goals in 66 appearances in two seasons at the club.
Chelsea signed Lukaku (for the second time) for a then-club-record fee of $135 million in the summer of 2021. He played one season for Chelsea (8 goals in 26 appearances) before going on loan to Inter Milan, where he scored 10 in 25 league appearances last season. Two years on from costing Chelsea well into nine figures, Lukaku will play his football for another club before returning next summer to receive his next assignment abroad.
Liverpool insist Mohamed Salah is not for sale but Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad are cracking on with a deal.
Per a report from CBS, Al-Ittihad are offering Salah a contract of around $162 million.
They are also offering Liverpool a transfer fee of around $110 million with plenty of add-ons also on top of that.
Salah, 31, is Liverpool’s main man and proved that once again at Newcastle with his superb assist to Darwin Nunez late on and seems totally committed to Liverpool.
So will this offer turn his head in the final days of the summer window?
The Egyptian forward is being offered the same sort of contract Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo have in Saudi Arabia. This is a big deal and even if Liverpool don’t wan’t to sell Salah, it will be very intriguing to see how this plays out in the final days of the window.
Al-Ittihad prepared to offer a €150m package for Mohamed Salah. Liverpool, who don't want to sell, would get €100m guaranteed. Not all of add ons would necessarily be easily achievable.
— James Benge (@jamesbenge) August 28, 2023
Salah would receive salary package comparable with Neymar/Ronaldo.https://t.co/Icqzxe3PuK
Tottenham are looking to bolster their firepower after a strong start to the season and Brennan Johnson appears to be their main target.
Per a report from Fabrizio Romano, Spurs are in talks with Nottingham Forest to sign Brennan Johnson but a deal for the Welsh forward remains difficult. The Daily Telegraph is also reporting that Brentford have made a club-record $50 million bid for Johnson.
Given the current market, it feels like it will take a lot more than $50 million to buy Johnson and with the Harry Kane money in their bank account, Spurs will be asked for a much larger fee.
Johnson would be a great fit for the way Spurs attacking under Ange Postecoglou and could play in any of the four forward positions.
The 22-year-old had a great debut campaign in the Premier League last season and his combination of pace, eye for a pass and clinical finishing could see him slot in nicely, even up top centrally, for Spurs.
Tottenham, prepared to approach Nottingham Forest for Brennan Johnson this week. Ange Postecoglou has already approved this potential move ⚪️ #THFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 28, 2023
Not easy deal as Forest already rejected big proposals but interest in Brennan is growing now. pic.twitter.com/f7ReXPcKFg
According to multiple reports, Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah is set to play his last game for Liverpool on Sunday, away to Newcastle in a hugely important early-season clash of top-four hopefuls. Salah’s departure would be a massive blow to Liverpool, who only have until Friday to replace a player who has scored 138 Premier League goals (187 in all competitions) in six-plus seasons at the club. Salah has never scored fewer than 19 goals in a PL season for Liverpool.
It would appear that Romelu Lukaku is reuniting with Jose Mourinho as reports state Roma are in talks with Chelsea over signing the Belgian striker on loan.
Per reports from both the London Evening Standard and Fabrizio Romano, Lukaku ‘expects the move to happen’ but there is still some way to go over the finances of the deal. Chelsea are keen to get Lukaku’s wages off their books and a loan move makes sense.
This would be a good move for Lukaku and after he wanted a return to Inter Milan, at least he will be heading back to Italy. Playing for Mourinho was an issue at times for Lukaku but the way this Roma team is set up should play to his strengths.
Roma execs have remained in London to get Lukaku's move done. Lukaku has told https://t.co/jzNrHnlWrz that he expects to move but still a gap on wage contribution and loan fee remains. https://t.co/HxqcRTHVLJ
— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) August 26, 2023
First round of talks between AS Roma and Chelsea for Romelu Lukaku, just finished. 🟡🔴🇧🇪 #ASRoma
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 26, 2023
Roma submitted initial important bid with loan fee, salary coverage now also being discussed.
Negotiations continue in London with owners directly involved. pic.twitter.com/WwYapRBFLk
This move makes a lot of sense for USMNT forward Folarin Balogun.
Multiple reports, including this one from Fabrizio Romano, say that Balogun is heading to Monaco.
After scoring 21 Ligue 1 goals on loan at Reims last season, it was clear Balogun was going to leave Arsenal this summer if he wasn’t going to be a regular.
Per the reports, Balogun is costing Monaco $43.1 million and Arsenal have a healthy sell-on clause in the deal.
🔴⚪️✅🇫🇷 #ASMonaco https://t.co/Vu3CW48Vc1
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 26, 2023
Mohammed Kudus was one of the breakout stars of the 2022 World Cup despite Ghana finishing bottom of an incredibly difficult group (Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay), praised and coveted after scoring two goals and presenting a constant counter-attacking threat. The 23-year-old midfielder was equally stellar for Ajax after the World Cup and has started the new season just as brightly, with a hat trick against Ludogorets in Europa League qualifying on Thursday.
Jeremy Doku has completed his $70-million transfer from Ligue 1 side Rennes to Manchester City, signing a five-year contract with the four-time defending Premier League champions and recent treble winners. Doku will most directly replace Riyad Mahrez in the Man City squad, but he will also provide additional ball progression and chance creation in the absence of Kevin De Bruyne, who is expected to be out until the new year.
As ever, Manchester City will continue to tinker and tweak their tactical setup (ever so slightly, or greatly) under Pep Guardiola’s watchful eye.
Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad are reportedly in pursuit of Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah once again, after an initial approach was rebuffed by the Egyptian’s agent earlier this month. According to the report from David Ornstein, Liverpool have marked Salah as not for sale, and it is unknown whether or not Salah wants to make the move for his part in the deal.
Manchester City have reportedly had a bid for Wolves midfielder Matheus Nunes rejected.
Per the report from The Daily Telegraph, Wolves have turned down an offer of $60 million for their Portuguese international midfielder.
Nunes has been admired by some of the Premier League big boys for some time and considering Wolves’ financial situation, Manchester City may be testing their nerve.
It is clear that Pep Guardiola wants to add more midfield depth to his squad as City have also been linked with Eberechi Eze.
Guardiola is a big fan of Nunes and the versatile midfielder can play centrally or out wide and he’s the type of player who would slot right in and do an extremely solid job for one of the Premier League’s leading teams.
#Wolves have rejected a £47m bid from Manchester City for Matheus Nunes. Opening offer for the Portugal international worth €55m in total but nowhere near Wolves valuation. Wolves don’t want to sell but probably not the end of this one.. #mcfc #wwfc https://t.co/b8T6FKTSrA
— John Percy (@JPercyTelegraph) August 24, 2023
USMNT forward Folarin Balogun looks set to leave Arsenal in the final days of the summer transfer window but he could be staying in London.
A report from the London Evening Standard says that Chelsea have asked Arsenal about Balogun and they have been quoted over $63 million to sign the USMNT striker.
Per the report, Chelsea have ‘sounded out’ Arsenal over the potential deal and the Blues are keen to bolster their attacking options after missing plenty of chances in their opening two games of the season.
Would this be a good move for Balogun? Hmm, probably not.
Mauricio Pochettino has Christopher Nkunku as his main forward but he’s out for the next few months through injury so come January, would Balogun be back on the bench at Chelsea and in the same situation he’s in at Arsenal? Probably.
Balogun, who has two years left on his contract, was brilliant on loan at Reims in France last season, scoring 22 goals in all competitions. He has to play regularly to keep developing at the age of 22 he has to find a Premier League club where he can be the main man.
Somewhere like Crystal Palace or Fulham would be a perfect fit for him to develop, play week in, week out and show off his clinical finishing. The only issue? Arsenal want a lot of money for him and only the likes of Chelsea could afford him in the Premier League as other top clubs don’t really have a need for a new forward.
Balogun may have options in Europe but the same issue will crop up as Arsenal are asking for a big transfer fee. It seems like Arsenal will sell Balogun in the end but where he ends up may not be the best thing for his immediate future.
Dutch midfielder Ryan Gravenberch is a name that continues to be linked with a move to the Premier League and two giants are reportedly tussling to sign him.
Gravenberch, 21, has not been a regular at Bayern Munich and despite the German giants being reluctant to let the versatile Dutch international leave, it seems like it is inevitable.
Per a report from our partners in Germany at Sky Sports, both Liverpool and Manchester United are favorites to sign Gravenberch to strengthen their midfield.
He is exactly the kind of player both teams need to add defensive solidity and balance to their midfielders and the fact he can play in defense and midfield is an added bonus.
❗️Ryan #Gravenberch: He wants to play regularly. But at the moment he’s the No. 4 in central midfield under #Tuchel!
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) August 21, 2023
➡️ Understand that Liverpool & ManUtd will be the favorites for the player should Bayern give the green light to leave. But no verbal agreements yet. #LFC |… pic.twitter.com/YGRjvrSqu9
Several reports say that New England Revolution goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic is heading to Chelsea.
Per one of the reports from Fabrizio Romano, Petrovic, 23, will sign for Chelsea for up to $18 million.
The Serbian goalkeeper replaced Matt Turner as the Revs’ first-choice goalkeeper and has been superb for Bruce Arena’s side as he was named an MLS All-Star in 2023.
Per the report, Petrovic will compete with Robert Sanchez for the starting spot at Chelsea. That is a huge step up for him but the Serbian international seems ready for it and Chelsea need some depth in the goalkeeping department after Edouard Mendy was sold to Saudi Arabia and Kepa Arrizabalaga left for Real Madrid on loan.
ICYMI. Chelsea will complete Djordje Petrović deal this week, agreement in place as revealed yesterday ⤵️🔵🇷🇸 https://t.co/1uSovLWz9T
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 22, 2023
Manchester City has its Riyad Mahrez replacement, according to reports, as Rennes youngster Jeremy Doku is coming to help in the treble defense.
Sky Sports says it’s a $71 million deal for the winger, who is 21 years old and scored seven times with four assists in all competitions for Stade Rennes last season, his third since making the move from Anderlecht.
Doku has goals in both of Rennes’ Ligue 1 outings to start this season. and also has 14 caps and two goals for Belgium.
Doku’s attacking numbers are out of this world. Amongst players in the top-five European leagues, he ranks in the 99th percentile or better in (all stats/90 minutes and from fbref.com):
- progressive carries
- successful take-ons
- touches in the attacking penalty area
- progressive passing received
- non-penalty goals
- expected assists
- non-penalty xG+xAG
- shot-creating actions
Note this one (assuming it happens), as City cooled its interest in a West Ham player (Lucas Paqueta) to snare a oft-reported West Ham target.
If Brighton’s transfer pipeline remains as strong as its been, the Seagulls have found their new Moises Caicedo (who was, after all, kinda the new Yves Bissouma).
Foot Mercato reports that Brighton’s agreed a fee with Lille for Carlos Baleba, the 19-year-old Cameroon import. Reports have said the fee could be $33 million for Baleba, who was also noted as a Liverpool target.
Baleba’s played 61 minutes over two Ligue 1 games for Lille this season after making 19 appearances last season. He’s a ball-carrying, hard-tackling, field-coverer.
There’s plenty of buzz in Manchester United circles this Monday as the club circles around its lukewarm start to the season.
Midfield options: A report from L’Equipe says United is looking into bringing Marco Verratti to town from Paris Saint-Germain, though the club would have to compete with Saudi sides and Bayern Munich.
The club is also still being linked with Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat on multiple fronts, with a Sky Sports report also throwing the Red Devils’ hat into the mix for Ryan Gravenberch.
Goalkeeper: There could still be some goalkeeping movement at Old Trafford, with Dean Henderson now potentially moving to Crystal Palace to take the place of disgruntled Vicente Guaita.
If that happens, Sky says Greek international Odysseas Vlachodimos of Benfica could come into the picture as competition and support to new signing Andre Onana. The 33-times capped Vlachodimos has been with Benfica since 2018.
Manchester United announced Monday that the club will not be bringing Mason Greenwood back into the team, and that it will be reviewing their options when it comes to the player’s future.
Greenwood had been suspended from the team while it conducted “an internal investigation into the allegations of attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault against him.”
“Our process commenced in February 2023, following all charges against Mason being dropped. Throughout, we have taken into account the wishes, rights and perspective of the alleged victim along with the club’s standards and values, and sought to collate as much information and context as possible. This has required us to proceed with sensitivity and care to obtain evidence not in the public domain, including from those with direct knowledge of the case.
“Based on the evidence available to us, we have concluded that the material posted online did not provide a full picture and that Mason did not commit the offences in respect of which he was originally charged. That said, as Mason publicly acknowledges today, he has made mistakes which he is taking responsibility for.
“All those involved, including Mason, recognise the difficulties with him recommencing his career at Manchester United. It has therefore been mutually agreed that it would be most appropriate for him to do so away from Old Trafford, and we will now work with Mason to achieve that outcome.”
USMNT star Tyler Adams is back in the Premier League.
Bournemouth has signed the midfielder from Leeds United even before the 24-year-old kicks a ball following spring surgery on his hamstring.
Cherries CEO Neill Blake had this to say about Adams, who was linked with Chelsea amongst others over the summer.
“We’re thrilled to have brought Tyler to the club and he is a player we’ve admired for a long time. It’s been widely documented how much his talents have been recognised in this transfer window by other clubs, so to have him sign for AFC Bournemouth shows the ambition we have as a club.
“Tyler is an exciting player who possesses plenty of experience for someone that is just 24 years of age and we’re looking forward to working with him as he’s a player we know will be a great addition to our squad.”
Adams helps replace Jefferson Lerma and this transfer fills a real need for the Cherries.
There’s good news for West Ham fans, but also a setback of at least momentary nature for the transfer the club really wants to see over the line.
David Ornstein has both updates, saying that the Irons are conducting a medical for former Arsenal defender Konstantinos Mavropanos but that the club has seen a bid rejected for Ajax midfielder Mohammed Kudus.
West Ham would know that Ajax accepted a $50 million bid from Brighton for Kudus before the move broke down, but have still come in below that number.
As for Mavropanos, the center back has been very, very good for Stuttgart when healthy. The 25-year-old is excellent in all areas of the pitch and is a regular starter with 19 caps for Greece.
🚨 West Ham bid for Mohammed Kudus rejected by Ajax. Offer below required fee. #Ajax want to keep 23yo after multiple exits but he plans to go
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) August 19, 2023
🚨 Konstantinos Mavropanos due to travel to London in next 24hrs to complete #WHUFC move from #VfB@TheAthleticFChttps://t.co/1vDp6zTvZh
The Chelsea transfer rumor mill has an American feel this morning, with connections to a USMNT striker and an MLS star.
Folarin Balogun continues to be linked with Chelsea despite his status at Arsenal and that club’s reported $64 million asking price. Inter Milan is no longer in for his services, according to Sky Sports, who say that the Blues have registered interest while Monaco is trying to structure a deal to Arsenal’s liking.
And the London Evening Standard says Chelsea is ‘closing in’ on a $15 million deal for New England Revolution goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic. The 23-year-old MLS All-Star has been called up twice by Serbia and would give the Blues a (slightly) older No. 2 goalkeeper compared to the youngsters left following Kepa Arrizabalaga’s loan to Real Madrid.
Injuries to Reece James and Jurrien Timber have two more London clubs eyeing Real Valladolid’s Ivan Fresneda, who is reportedly himself waiting to see if Barcelona moves for his services.
Fresneda is still 18 until late next month but the one-time Real Madrid academy player has plenty of experience despite his tender age, playing 22 times in La Liga last season.
There’s been some buzz online that Chelsea’s interest may not be as hot, but Football.London says the Blues are now looking into the West Ham target.
Fresneda reportedly wants Barcelona but can only wait so long to find out if Xavi lands Man City’s Joao Cancelo.
Tyler Adams may be returning to the Premier League this season after all.
Reports claim that Adams, 24, is undergoing a medical at Bournemouth after the Cherries had a transfer breakthrough with Leeds.
The fee is thought to be $29 million with additional bonuses.
Adams reportedly neared a move to Chelsea before the Blues made breakthroughs with Moises Caicedo and now Romeo Lavia to bolster their midfield.
The only questions with Adams are those of durability. He’s an exceptional reader of the game with a fierce competitive nature, but has played 14, 27, 24, and 24 league games in the last four full domestic seasons between RB Leipzig and Leeds. He has yet to make his season debut this season after hamstring surgery.
Bournemouth feels like a good place for him to get regular minutes and continue to grow in the PL.
Ryan Gravenberch may leave Bayern Munich one year after the Bavarians won a multi-team fight for his services.
The 21-year-old Ajax product made 33 appearances for Bayern last season but those entries only cover 937 minutes on the pitch, as Gravenberch went more than 45 minutes just twice in the Bundesliga and three times in cup competitions.
A TeamTalk report citing Fabrizio Romano’s YouTube show claims that Bayern does not want to sell the youngster, but that Gravenberch wants out. Liverpool and Manchester United are said to be interested after missing out on other targets.
Gravenberch’s advanced numbers are very good, especially for someone well away from his 22nd birthday. He’s a good passer who makes himself available in dangerous places on the pitch and reads the game well from a defensive standpoint.
He cost Bayern under $40 million and is likely eager for the move after missing out on the World Cup and subsequent Netherlands call-ups despite featuring in six World Cup qualifiers.
Chelsea is selling versatile left-sided player Lewis Hall to Newcastle United on loan for the 2023-24 season with a $36 million obligation to buy plus $9 million in add-ons, according to reports.
Hall, who turns 19 on Sept. 8, is most recognized as a left back but has played left mid and center mid for the Blues.
He made his debut for Chelsea in the 2021-22 FA Cup, assisting a goal from CB against Chesterfield FC, and made nine of his 11 appearances last season inside the Premier League.
Much has been made about Chelsea’s spending but they’ve sold a lot of players for solid fees this summer: Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, Kalidou Koulibaly, Christian Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Edouard Mendy have all gone for fees more than $15 million.
Liverpool has finally found its transfer for the middle of the park, adding Wataru Endo from Stuttgart for a reported $20 million.
Japan’s captain, 30, signs on a deal through the 2024-25 season. Endo has 50 caps and has been with Stuttgart since helping the club to promotion out of 2.Bundesliga in the 2019-20 season.
Endo has a ‘destroyer’ skillset and will break up plenty of danger while also chipping in a fair bit offensively. He’s very good in the air as well and fbref.com says his advanced stats profile is similar to Casemiro, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, and new Dortmund signing Felix Nmecha.
He’s not Moises Caicedo or even Romeo Lavia in terms of profile but this could end up being just as important a signing for the Reds if Endo can bed right into the Premier League, because his resume says he could be a much more complete and mature package.
Chelsea has landed another big-money transfer, beating Liverpool to the signature of Southampton’s Romeo Lavia.
The price tag for Lavia, 19, is thought to be $74 million and the player has signed a seven-year deal. The Blues are spending big this summer and being aided by the longer-term contracts when it comes to combating UEFA’s Financial Fair Play policy.
“We are very pleased to welcome Romeo to Chelsea,” said Chelsea co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley. “He demonstrated his quality in the Premier League last season at Southampton, showing maturity despite his young age, and is a player we have monitored for some time. We believe he is ready to make an impact at Chelsea throughout the current campaign, and in the coming years.”
It’s another win for Chelsea over Liverpool in the market after the Blues landed Moises Caicedo from Brighton. This means Chelsea’s midfield buys since January add up to over $300 million, and could set up a midfield of Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, and Laiva for years to come at Stamford Bridge.
Several reports have linked Fulham with a move for Arsenal and USMNT forward Folarin Balogun.
With Fulham captain and top goalscorer Aleksandar Mitrovic set to move to Saudi Arabia, the Cottagers are trying to line up a replacement.
Per the London Evening Standard, Fulham are in talks with Arsenal about signing Balogun but want to lower the $67 million asking price.
Balogun was superb on loan at Reims last season, scoring 22 goals for the Ligue 1 outfit. That has led a host of clubs to be interested in the striker this summer but Arsenal have slapped a huge asking price on his head.
A move to Fulham would be perfect for Balogun. He would play regularly in the Premier League, alongside two of his USMNT teammates in Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson and he will get the chance to take the next step in his career.
If Fulham get close to $67 million for Mitrovic, spending it all on Balogun will be tough but given his development over the last few years the Arsenal academy product looks set to score at least 10-12 goals a season in the Premier League.
A report from the Netherlands says that Morocco midfielder Sofyan Amrabat wants to join Liverpool over Manchester United.
The Fiorentina midfielder was a revelation at the 2022 World Cup as Morocco finished fourth in the tournament and the 26-year-old has been linked with huge clubs ever since.
Manchester United have most recently been linked with signing Amrabat but given Liverpool’s struggles in signing a new defensive midfielder (Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia both decided to join Chelsea instead) Amrabat would be a perfect signing in the holding midfield role for Jurgen Klopp.
Per the report, Amrabat has emerged as the ‘cheaper option’ for Liverpool and he now wants to complete the move to Anfield.
A report in Spain says that Barcelona youngster Ansu Fati has decided he will the Catalan giants this summer.
Per the report from AS, Fati has told manager Xavi that he will move on as he will not be a big part of their plans this season.
The talented attacker, who burst onto the scene before suffering a serious knee injury, has been linked with several Premier League clubs in the past, including the likes of Tottenham, Manchester United and Arsenal.
Fati, 20, is an incredible talent and given Barcelona’s financial situation, he could be a bit of a bargain for a Premier League club.
A report states that Liverpool are ramping up their interest in Crystal Palace holding midfielder Cheick Doucoure.
Per a report from The Independent, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is keen to make his move for Doucoure after missing out on both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to Chelsea.
It was clear from watching Liverpool’s opening game of the Premier League season that they badly need a holding midfielder to provide balance.
Doucoure has been excellent since arriving at Palace last summer from Ligue 1 side Lens.
Per the report, the 23-year-old holding midfielder would cost under $76 million. Doucoure is a true destructive midfielder and wins the ball back so well and is very good at moving it on quickly to talented attacking midfielders around him. That is exactly the kind of player Liverpool are looking for.
Liverpool have made a bid to sign Japanese midfielder Wataru Endo from Stuttgart.
According to a report from Fabrizio Romano, the Reds have made the Japan international their main target as they search for a holding midfielder.
This is a surprise move but given that they tried and failed to sign both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia for big money in the holding midfield role, Jurgen Klopp needs someone in the defensive midfield role.
Endo looks to be Liverpool’s man. The Japanese star was superb at the World Cup and per the report, he has told Stuttgart he wants the move.
At 30 years of age this is a totally different profile of player to Caicedo and Lavia but Liverpool need a holding player after losing Fabinho and Jordan Henderson unexpectedly this summer and Endo would be a great short-term solution.
EXCLUSIVE: Liverpool submit formal bid to sign Japanese midfielder Wataru Endō on permanent deal 🚨🔴🇯🇵 #LFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 16, 2023
Negotiations ongoing with Stuttgard — player wants the move as it’s biggest opportunity of his career.
Surprisining move by Liverpool director Schmadtke. pic.twitter.com/sQwtnp67ik
Romeo Lavia finally looks to be joining Chelsea, as multiple reports state the Blues have agreed a $74 million deal with Southampton.
The transfer fee will be $67.5 million with a further $6.5 million in add-ons.
Lavia, 19, looked set to join Liverpool last week after the Reds had a bid accepted for both him and Moises Caicedo.
However it looks like both holding midfielders will be at Chelsea instead, as Caicedo completed his British record deal of $146 million on Sunday.
Lavia is one of the top young holding midfielders in the game and is already a full Belgian international and he and Caicedo alongside Enzo Fernandez could be Chelsea’s central midfield for at least the next five seasons.
🚨 Chelsea reach agreement with Southampton to sign midfielder Romeo Lavia. Fee in place between #CFC & #SaintsFC for 19yo Belgium int’l £53m + £5m adds. Subject to medical + terms being finalised, move will be completed. W/ @SJohnsonSport @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/hYrozkedNd
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) August 15, 2023
It appears Fulham will reluctantly sell striker and captain Aleksandar Mitrovic to Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal.
That’s right, Mitrovic will soon be nodding the ball down for Neymar and Ruben Neves to have a pop at goal.
After being reintegrated into the first team after having his head turned by a massive offer from Al Hilal during preseason, it appears Mitrovic won’t be staying at Fulham after all.
Marco Silva will be very disappointed with this turn of events but given the huge pay increase being offered to Mitro, it is clear he wants to move on. Fulham signed Raul Jimenez this summer and we are about to see if the Mexico star can replace Mitrovic’s goals and hold up play. It is a big ask as Mitrovic has been one of the best strikers in Fulham’s long history.
Understand Al Hilal are finalising move to sign Aleksandar Mitrović! Deal now imminent, waiting for final approval as formal bid has been sent 🚨🔵🇸🇦
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 16, 2023
Mitrović agreed terms with Al Hilal in July and he’s just waiting for Fulham green light to make it happen in the next hours. pic.twitter.com/xf66Cdlmvo
Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise could soon be moving across London, according to multiple reports.
Chelsea is activating the $44 million release clause in Olise’s contract, and an agreement on terms is not expected to be a problem between the Blues and their would-be new playmaker.
Olise, not 22 until December, is currently dealing with a leg injury but has impressed since moving from Reading in 2021 following a 7-goal, 12-assist season in the Championship.
He scored four times with eight assists in all comps during his first season at Palace, and he piled up 11 assists last season. That was level with Bukayo Saka for fourth in the Premier League.
Spanish goalkeeper David Raya has joined Arsenal from Brentford on loan, with the move widely expected to be made permanent in the future.
Arsenal released details about signing the Spanish international goalkeeper, as they say “as part of the agreement, there is an option to make the move permanent.”
Raya arriving as a very real, and somewhat unexpected, challenge to Aaron Ramsdale spot as the starting goalkeeper.
Ramsdale has been sensational in recent seasons but a few mistakes have crept in from time to time and Raya has shown his consistency for Brentford over the last two seasons and is very good with the ball at this feet.
Mikel Arteta loves to play out from the back and don’t be expected to see him start ahead of Ramsdale over the next few weeks as they battle it out to be the No. 1 at Arsenal.
Raya arrives 🧤 pic.twitter.com/2UaPiDDp33
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 15, 2023
Manchester United could add two A. Onanas this summer.
That’s a sentence!
The Red Devils replaced David De Gea with Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana and now have approached Everton about its influential midfielder Amadou Onana.
The 21-year-old Belgian international has been an absolute force for Sean Dyche’s men, racking up tackles, interceptions, and clearances while owning the air in the middle of the park.
The thought is that this Onana’s price range is between $65-75 million. That’s quite a bit more than United earned from Fenerbahce for the recently-completed transfer of Fred.
Amadou Onana has proven himself in the Premier League. Seeing the prices attached to other midfield stars means Everton’s ask is not unreasonable.
Chelsea has loaned Kepa Arrizabaga to Real Madrid for the 2023-24 season.
The fast-moving situation saw Kepa linked with Bayern Munich and a Thomas Tuchel reunion before Thibaut Courtois’ ACL injury led Real Madrid to link the keeper with another ex-Chelsea manager in Carlo Ancelotti.
Kepa captained Chelsea last season and won the Nations League with Spain. He returns to his home nation, where he made his name with Athletic Bilbao after rising through their academy to become a La Liga star.
Chelsea started new signing Robert Sanchez in the 1-1 draw with Liverpool and has been rumored to be pursuing former Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel of Nice.
Liverpool has agreed a $76 million fee for Southampton 19-year-old Romeo Lavia, according to Sky Sports, but the competition for his services isn’t over yet.
Chelsea’s massive purchase of Moises Caicedo has not ruled it out of Lavia, however, and Sky Sports says the Blues were close to a deal with Southampton as of last week.
The Belgian is an all-action midfielder from the Manchester City academy, and made two cup appearances for City in 2021-22 before making his Premier League entry for Saints to the tune of 29 games last season.
Liverpool has to seal this deal, as it would be an unwelcome look to agree two big fees and see the players choose Mauricio Pochettino’s rebuilding Chelsea project over Jurgen Klopp’s trophy-winning Reds.
🔴 As Liverpool took the signs do not willing on a bidding war last week, everything was clear since the start of this week-end on the mind of the Romeo #Lavia’s side as Chelsea FC🔵 was the most concrete and closest the get an agreement with clubs. The player wouldn’t loose time… https://t.co/8NePR3Oca2
— Sacha Tavolieri (@sachatavolieri) August 14, 2023
James Ward-Prowse is a Hammer.
Ward-Prowse has left his boyhood club Southampton after 20 years with the club in the latest big-money sale from relegated Saints, who thanked him for his professionalism throughout the move.
He joins a UEFA Europa Conference League-winning side that will return Ward-Prowse to Europa League competition for the first time since 2016-17.
“When I think about my game, it is based on hard work, graft, and giving 100 per cent,” said Ward-Prowse, via whufc.com. “West Ham United has always been a Club that has epitomises that. You can feel that from the fans and you can see it in the players who are here and the lads that have come through the Academy too.
“I feel as though I will fit straight in and I can promise I will give my all for this football club in my time here.”
Brighton and Hove Albion played hardball and won.
The Seagulls are going to get a British record transfer fee for Moises Caicedo in a deal that will cost the Blues approximately $145 million, according to multiple reports. That fee includes $19 million in add-ons and a ‘significant’ sell-on fee, according to Sky Sports.
$145 million. We’ve typed it again so you know you read it right. Our own Joe Prince-Wright has more thoughts, here.
The move comes on the heels of Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, which featured a postgame press conference which saw Reds boss Jurgen Klopp grousing about how much Chelsea can spend on players.
Klopp, of course, saw his Reds reportedly agree a similar fee with Brighton for the same player only to see Caicedo wait for Chelsea to match it.
This is another big win for Mauricio Pochettino, who is going to get every chance to show what many wondered he would’ve done at Tottenham had Spurs spent more in the market.
For those thinking Kylian Mbappe might just find a year or two on the books at a Premier League club before signing with Real Madrid, probably not.
Mbappe, 24, had reportedly infuriated PSG by refusing to sign a new deal en route to leaving the club for free next summer.
Now he will reportedly extend his contract by a year to allow PSG to make some money on him next summer. That won’t make Real Madrid overjoyed, but likely doesn’t change their season or opinion very much.
PSG’s season is saved even if Neymar skips town and, yes, even after Lionel Messi left for Miami. Mbappe will also see a strong team as countrymen Ousmane Dembele and Lucas Hernandez have joined up along with Milan Skriniar, Marco Asensio, Goncalo Ramos, Kang-in Lee, and Manuel Ugarte.
Might this be PSG’s big year in the Champions League?
Kylian Mbappé will stay and play for PSG this season. Big win for PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi after standoff with his star player. Mbappé now expected to extend PSG contract to 2025. Means he can’t move to Real Madrid for nothing next summer. Al-Khelaifi told PSG squad this…
— Kaveh Solhekol (@SkyKaveh) August 13, 2023
Friday brought news that Thomas Tuchel was seeking a reunion with Kepa Arrizabalaga at Real Madrid, but could the Spain goalkeeper be going to play for another ex-Chelsea boss?
Kepa prefers to a move back to Spain, it seems, as Real Madrid would prefer a replacement for Thibaut Courtois following an ACL tear — though Carlo Ancelotti had said the club was ready to go with Andriy Lunin between the sticks.
The reports are of a loan deal, as they were for the Bayern Munich deal. Why would Mauricio Pochettino be cool with a loan for a 28-year-old star goalkeeper if this is — as expected — going to be a multi-year project?
Strange days.
Bayern feel it’s over for Kepa despite talks were at advanced stages with Chelsea — Kepa wants to join Real Madrid. ⚪️⏳ #RealMadrid
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 12, 2023
Bayern won’t insist as they only want players convinced of their project.
Real now working to get it done on loan; talks on with Chelsea. pic.twitter.com/d7AC0e8tOG
There’s another team in pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba, according to Football Inside.
The 24-year-old has been widely-linked with Tottenham Hotspur and also mentioned as a Manchester United target.
The asking price for Tapsoba is reportedly $64 million, and Newcastle is said to be preparing a bid for that amount.
The 6-foot-2 Burkinabe center back is a hard-tackling reader of the game with tremendous ball progression acumen for his possession. He also averaged 1.12 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes with Leverkusen last season.
Tapsoba has 137 appearances for Leverkusen in his career and would be a great pair for Sven Botman and give Newcastle terrific depth with Fabian Schar, Jamaal Lascelles, Dan Burn, and Paul Dummett all capable of operating centrally.
Spurs have an even more pressing need even with the addition of Micky van de Ven, while Manchester United will need a piece if Harry Maguire joins Eric Bailly in skipping town.
Aston Villa is moving quickly to make sure its full strength following an injury to Emiliano Buendia.
Unai Emery’s project could soon include Nicolo Zaniolo, as the Villans have made a loan bid for the Italian who had also been linked with a move to Newcastle United.
Zaniolo, 24, would cost about $4 million in loan fees plus his full salary. Villa would then have a $21 million option to buy. There are another $8 million or so in add-ons possible, according to The Birmingham Mail.
Zaniolo started with Inter Milan before moving to AS Roma where he made his name from 2018-2023, leaving for Galatasaray in January. He’s scored five times with an assist in 12 appearances.
Zaniolo has a reported $39 million release clause and Galatasaray is said to have rejected a $28 million bid for the player earlier this transfer window.
Jeremy Doku’s proposed move to Manchester City continues to progress, according to Fabrizio Romano, who says that the Belgian winger joins West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta as priorities for Pep Guardiola this month.
The 21-year-old Doku scored seven times with four assists in all competitions for Stade Rennes last season, his third since making the move from Anderlecht. He also has 14 caps and two goals for Belgium.
Doku’s attacking numbers are out of this world. Amongst players in the top-five European leagues, he ranks in the 99th percentile or better in (all stats/90 minutes and from fbref.com):
- progressive carries
- successful take-ons
- touches in the attacking penalty area
- progressive passing received
- non-penalty goals
- expected assists
- non-penalty xG+xAG
- shot-creating actions
His passing numbers are lower than expected — perhaps his job was finishing and risky final ball movements — but otherwise he looks near to the picture of a Pep Guardiola player.
Could Chelsea’s signing of Robert Sanchez have been with a view to making the Brighton star their No. 1 keeper, or because the Blues would have to do so?
A report out of Germany claims that Kepa Arrizabalaga wants a reunion with Thomas Tuchel at Bayern Munich, and that the move would be a loan with an option to buy.
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino had said earlier this week that Kepa was ahead in the race to wear the No. 1 shirt but that Sanchez was in the discussion. Still, a loan without an obligation to buy would seem a weird one for Chelsea to sanction unless Pochettino doesn’t rate Kepa at all. Kepa is 28 years old and just into his prime.
USMNT keeper Gabriel ‘Gaga’ Slonina has already left on loan for KAS Eupen. The Blues still have longtime Fulham man Marcus Bettinelli on the books as well as youngsters Eddie Beach and Lucas Bergstrom.
❗️X News #Kepa: Clear feeling for Bayern is, that he wants to join them! But there are no final agreements with Chelsea yet. #CFC
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) August 11, 2023
➡️ Bayern is pushing for a loan with an option to buy - but the otb fee is not yet clarified.
More rounds and negotiations will follow.… pic.twitter.com/ksDSGReAbd
Tyler Adams will not be heading to Chelsea according to our partners in the UK at Sky Sports.
Apparently the deal has broken down and Adams will not be heading to west London, as the Blues had reportedly paid the $25.5 million relegation release clause.
Adams, 24, will probably land at another Premier League team where he will be a regular and the fact this move to Chelsea broke down will probably work out better for his career long-term. It was unlikely he would be a guaranteed starter at Chelsea, as they continue to chase the likes of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia in central midfield too.
Sky Sports News understands that talks have broken down over Tyler Adams’ proposed move from Leeds to Chelsea 👀❌ pic.twitter.com/As0ecWnJbN
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 11, 2023
Okay, so this is actually happening now. According to multiple reports Harry Kane is ready and waiting to fly to Munich to complete his move to Bayern.
Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou has confirmed that Kane is on his way.
Postecoglou: “It looks like Kane-Bayern is going to happen. So we move forward without Harry”. 🚨⚪️ #THFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 11, 2023
“We’ve been planning for this for a while. A lot of our business up until now was with that in mind. It doesn’t change my plans dramatically”. pic.twitter.com/7yZLbCdo6L
Yesterday it seemed like Kane would stay at Spurs as the two clubs had agreed a $110 million transfer fee.
However, Kane is going to go through with this and leave his boyhood club that he’s been at since the age of 11.
Kane was Bayern’s top transfer target all summer and Tottenham have finally allowed him to leave. This is a sad way for his time at Spurs to end but Kane will go to the German giants and win plenty of trophies and will help them massively in their quest to win the Champions League once again.
Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Liverpool have agreed with Brighton for Moises Caicedo.
But reports are starting to emerge that Caicedo, 21, prefers a move to Chelsea and will not sign for Liverpool.
In a dramatic turn of events it looked Caicedo would not be heading to Chelsea and instead Liverpool.
But Fabrizio Romano has reported that Caicedo has told Liverpool he wants to sign for Chelsea and he gave the Blues his word earlier in the summer.
Well, well, well the transfer saga of the summer has taken another big twist as Harry Kane has reportedly decided he will stay at Tottenham this season.
On the day Spurs agreed a transfer fee of over $110 million with Bayern Munich to sell Kane, according to our partners in the UK at Sky Sports the England captain has decided he will play for Tottenham this season.
With just one year left on his contract Kane, 30, always seemed like he wanted to run his contract down and assess his options and that is what it looks like he will do.
Spurs want to get some money for him this summer if he isn’t going to sign a new deal but they can’t force him to leave for Bayern and they can’t force him to sign a new contract either. Kane has all of the power here as he knows Spurs can’t afford to not play him and he will still score 25-30 Premier League goals this season.
It looks like this saga will rumble on and on and on.
BREAKING 🚨: Sky Sports News has been told it's increasingly likely Harry Kane will STAY at Tottenham ⚪pic.twitter.com/khIzLiAIzZ
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 10, 2023
Yeah, this is getting very confusing but it is clear both Chelsea and Liverpool want to strengthen in central midfield and the both really want to sign Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo.
Per multiple reports, including this one from David Ornstein, Chelsea have bid $61.3 million for Southampton’s 19-year-old midfield sensation Romeo Lavia but Saints want closer to $65 million.
Per a report from The Daily Telegraph, Liverpool have outbid Chelsea for Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo (Brighton want over $125 million for the Ecuador international). However, per the report Caicedo would prefer a move to Chelsea over Liverpool.
Liverpool have been working on signing Lavia for a long time and Chelsea the same with Caicedo and now it appears the brilliant defensive midfield products could be heading to the opposite clubs.
Chelsea host Liverpool this Sunday and perhaps both Caicedo and Lavia will be in attendance in the stands: but wearing which tracksuit?
Chelsea have reportedly activated the $25.5 million relegation release clause in Tyler Adams’ contract and the USMNT midfielder is heading to Stamford Bridge.
Adams, 24, excelled for Leeds last season but suffered a serious hamstring injury in the second half of the campaign and was a huge loss for the Yorkshire club as they were eventually relegated from the Premier League.
But Adams will still be in the Premier League as the holding midfielder has agreed to join Chelsea.
This is a really good move for Adams as he will work under Mauricio Pochettino and is perfect for the high-pressing tactics the Argentine coach loves to implement. That system needs a ball-winning midfielder and Adams is exceptional at doing just that.
He will have plenty of competition for minutes at Chelsea with Enzo Fernandez a guaranteed starter and the likes of Conor Gallagher around and potentially Romeo Lavia arriving too, but Adams always seems to impress managers and he is the kind of player every single team needs.
Tyler Adams to Chelsea, here we go! The relegation clause worth £20m has been activated today 🚨🔵🇺🇸 #CFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 10, 2023
Agreement reached with player’s agent in London over personal terms and now medical tests to follow — after 10 days negotiations, deal now done. pic.twitter.com/Dmvo70FibB
Multiple reports state that Bayern Munich have agreed a deal with Tottenham Hotspur to sign Harry Kane.
A report from David Ornstein, plus our partners at Sky in Germany, say that Bayern have agreed to pay Tottenham over $110 million for Kane.
Kane, 30, is out of contract at Tottenham next summer and can start talks with any non-European team from January 1, 2024 about signing as a free agent from July 1, 2024.
But it appears Bayern Munich are determined to get Kane now and the German giants have pushed all summer long to sign the England captain.
Now that a deal has reportedly been agreed between the clubs, all eyes turn to Kane.
Does he want to move to Germany? Is he okay with putting his pursuit of becoming the Premier League’s all-time record goalscorer on hold for a few seasons?
With Tottenham unwilling to sell Kane to a direct Premier League rival this summer, a move abroad is his only option unless he wants to stay at Spurs this season and leave on a free next summer.
That could be Kane’s plan but previous reports suggested that Tottenham’s ownership have told chairman Daniel Levy that Kane has to be sold this summer unless a new contract can be agreed.
If Kane wants this move to Bayern then he will head there for a few years, score tons of goals, win a few trophies and he can then head back to another Premier League team at the age of 32 and still have plenty of time to set the all-time Premier League goalscoring record.
Right now, it’s probably best for Harry Kane to move to Bayern Munich and leave the club he’s been at since the age of 11.
USMNT starter Matt Turner wants to play, so he’s leaving Arsenal.
Turner backed up Aaron Ramsdale last season and will have seen the writing on the wall, if not heard those words directly, as Arsenal pursues David Raya from Brentford.
So Turner’s going to Nottingham Forest, which ironically will send fellow USMNT keeper Ethan Horvath looking for a new home (again), and Turner will hope to show Steve Cooper that he doesn’t need Dean Henderson or any other true No. 1 for this Premier League season.
The Hatters of Luton Town have a new cog in their bid to win Premier League safety in its first top-flight season.
It’s long-time Everton and Chelsea man Ross Barkley, who arrives at a new Premier League home after a pitstop in Nice.
Barkley called his move to the club and the club’s run up the English football pyramid “great motivation.”
“I’m still relatively young and over the last couple of years I’ve not played as much as I’d have liked. But I’ve reserved a lot of energy and looked after myself, so it’s great to be here now as I’ve got a lot to show but I’m ready and feeling motivated.”
Barkley, 29, saw his star quality rocket up during his time at Everton but his move to Chelsea never found him at the same level of production. He went two seasons not doing much at all before a 3-goal, 5-assist campaign. Barkley would later score three goals on a season-long loan to Aston Villa.
The 33-times capped England international scored four goals with two assists in under 1,000 minutes for Nice last season in Ligue 1. There’s enough of a flash there to say he could be a productive piece given regular minutes.
Could Lucas Paqueta be the next domino to fall in the transfer window? Or could it be that his domino triggered West Ham’s reported breakthrough with Southampton for James Ward-Prowse?
Premier League champions Manchester City are said to be speaking with West Ham about a $77 million move for Paqueta, the Brazilian international who has teased with the Irons after showcasing his star power with Lyon and the Brazil national team.
The move would represent an $11 million profit for West Ham. Paqueta turns 26 later this month and had five goals and seven assists between the Premier League and Europa Conference League, the latter of which was won by the Irons. He had posted double-digit goals seasons in consecutive campaigns for Lyon prior to that, and had been used in a more defensive role with AC Milan from 2018-20.
The move would give Pep Guardiola a more like-for-like replacement for Ilkay Gundogan, and come close to completing City’s refilling of the tank after Gundogan joined Riyad Mahrez in exiting the club this summer. A wing would be sure to follow.
David Moyes is getting two of his prime targets as West Ham United begins its bid to succeed in both the Europa League and the Premier League.
Reports from our friends at Sky Sports say that West Ham has agreed deals in principle to sign Manchester United center back Harry Maguire and Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse.
Maguire’s move will be a deal for under $40 million and it’s certainly a positive step for West Ham and a fresh start for the England center back who’s been scapegoated by the fans at Old Trafford. Whether that’s fair or not is up to the beholder.
Details on the Ward-Prowse deal are scarce for now but the Irons reportedly had a $40 million bid rejected by Saints last week. The free kick ace’s arrival could have something to do with rumors of Manchester City going in for Lucas Paqueta.
Tottenham Hotspur announced the signings of Micky van de Ven and Alejo Veliz on Tuesday.
Both transfers had been previously reported and Tottenham announced the additions before a 4-2 friendly loss to La Liga champions Barcelona in Spain.
Wolfsburg center back Van de Ven will wear No. 37 as Ange Postecoglou bids to revamp Spurs’ back line, while teenage center forward Veliz dons No. 36.
The Veliz deal was initially reported as under $17 million.
He scored 11 times last season and turns 20 next month. Learning under Harry Kane, if there, would be a nice apprenticeship.
Van de Ven’s move was said to be close to a $55 million transfer from the Bundesliga to the Premier League, giving Spurs a very good, 22-year-old left-sided center back once a medical is completed in the coming days.
Okay, now we are getting into very interesting territory with the Harry Kane to Bayern Munich situation.
According to our partners in the UK at Sky Sports, Bayern Munich will offer Tottenham $120 million for Harry Kane over the next 24 hours.
The new offer for Kane, 30, will be a huge test for Daniel Levy as Spurs face the real risk of losing their all-time leading goalscorer and talisman for nothing next summer.
Given the constant dialogue between Bayern and Spurs, plus the noises coming from Kane’s camp, there is obviously interest in moving to Bayern from Kane’s perspective.
Can we see this happening? A bid of this size would actually be an incredible sum of money for Spurs to turn down and they would not be selling Kane to a direct Premier League rival.
The England captain could go and be the main man and win a few trophies at Bayern for a few years, then head back to the Premier League at the age of 32 and have a couple more goal-filled seasons to become the Premier League’s all-time record goalscorer. When you think about it, this is a pretty good deal for Spurs and Kane.
BREAKING: Bayern Munich are to submit a new £94.6m bid for Harry Kane either today or tomorrow, according to Sky in Germany 💰 pic.twitter.com/S8ziJYl2F2
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 8, 2023
Chelsea could be forced into adding another striker as Christopher Nkunku has undergone knee surgery.
Per a statement on their website, Chelsea confirmed that Nkunku has had knee surgery and will be out for an ‘extended period’ but they did not put a timeline on his return.
It is believed he could be missing for up to four months.
That news is a massive blow for the Blues as Nkunku was their big summer arrival up front and looked incredibly sharp in preseason for Mauricio Pochettino’s team.
What does this mean for them in the final weeks of the summer window? Well, Nicolas Jackson. Mykhailo Mudryk and Raheem Sterling are still around but with reports suggesting Dusan Vlahovic may arrive as part of a swap deal with Juventus for Romelu Lukaku, perhaps that move for the Serbian striker becomes a little more desperate in the next few days.
Chelsea Football Club has today released the following statement about Christopher Nkunku. ⤵️
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 8, 2023
Bayern Munich are still in talks over signing Harry Kane from Tottenham but the player and his camp have reportedly set a deadline for any deal to happen.
Per the latest report from David Ornstein, Kane is leaning towards staying at Spurs. And according to Fabrizio Romano, Kane has told Bayern and Spurs that he wants any deal sorted out this week as he will not think about leaving Spurs once the new Premier League season kicks off this weekend.
Kane, 30, has just a year left on his contract and all signs point to him leaving on a free transfer next summer as he will get to decide his next destination. Of course, Spurs are also keen on Kane signing a new contract which is still a possibility.
But this is a big risk for Daniel Levy to take as Kane can agree to sign a contract for Bayern Munich, or any other non-English club for that matter, on January 1 2024 as a free agent with him then leaving Tottenham for nothing next summer.
Harry Kane’s camp has informed Bayern and Tottenham of player’s preference in terms of timing: decision on the deal has to be by the end of this week 🚨⚪️🏴
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 8, 2023
Kane doesn’t want to move after start of Premier League football on Sunday.
Up to Bayern and… Daniel Levy, again. pic.twitter.com/QNMO6U8XcI
🚨 Talks between Bayern Munich & Tottenham for Harry Kane continued on Monday night. As things stand, there remains a gap in their valuations. 30yo currently leaning towards staying at #THFC but #FCBayern interest ongoing. W/ @lauriewhitwell @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/M1dbONqJGm
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) August 8, 2023
Tino Livramento has signed for Newcastle as one of the top young prospects in England is now a Magpie.
Livramento, 20, has joined Newcastle from Southampton on a deal which could be worth over $50 million including add-ons.
The England U21 international had an incredible debut Premier League season in 2021-22 before suffering a serious knee injury in April 2022 which kept him out of action for over a year. He returned for the final two games of last season and is now back in the Premier League.
Livramento will provide real competition to Kieran Trippier down the right and is also capable of playing as a winger and at left back.
✍️ We are delighted to announce the signing of Tino Livramento from Southampton!
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) August 8, 2023
Welcome to Newcastle United, @tino_livramento! ⚫️⚪️
USMNT striker Folarin Balogun is still an Arsenal player right now but it seems very likely he will be leaving north London soon.
After being linked with Inter Milan for most of the summer, Ligue 1 club AS Monaco have now made a bid for Balogun.
However, according to David Ornstein it has been turned down.
Balogun, 22, needs to play regularly and he isn’t going to get that at Arsenal. His 22 goals on loan at Stade de Reims last season catapulted his status as a clinical finisher and clubs across Europe want to sign him. But Arsenal want a big transfer fee and that is causing a problem.
What will Arsenal do if they can’t get the transfer fee they want for him? Another loan deal seems unlikely but so too does Balogun getting ahead of Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and others in Arsenal’s attacking unit.
Given Arsenal’s big spending this summer, Balogun is one of their key assets they hope to sell to recoup plenty of cash. That is leaving the USMNT forward in a frustrating position.
🚨 EXCL: Arsenal reject written bid from Monaco for Folarin Balogun. Follows verbal offer turned down by #AFC after friendly. #ASMonaco pursuit ongoing - sporting directors have good relationship. #Inter keen but unclear if can afford @TheAthleticFC #USMNT https://t.co/xp0yVUcL8c
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) August 7, 2023
Chelsea are set to open talks for USMNT captain Tyler Adams, according to a report.
Per Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are interested in signing Adams from recently-relegated Leeds as he has a clause in his contract which makes him available for $28 million.
Adams was superb for Leeds last season and his injury in early 2023 was a huge blow for the Yorkshire club as their form spiralled out of control without him and they were eventually relegated.
Currently recovering from that serious hamstring issue he suffered, Adams would be a very good fit for Mauricio Pochettino’s system and he is a very versatile player. His main role would be as a holding midfielder and given Chelsea’s issues with getting a deal for Moises Caicedo over the line, Adams would be a good alternative in that area of that pitch and a much cheaper option.
The only issue for Adams is whether or not he would be a regular for Chelsea. This is one of those moves which could make his career or stall it for a few seasons and as we saw with Christian Pulisic’s move to Chelsea, heading to such an unstable club which changes managers so often is a very risky move. However, this seems like a risk worth taking for Adams.
After approaching player’s camp last week, Chelsea will open talks over Tyler Adams deal in the next days — informed on his £20m relegation clause 🔵🇺🇸
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 7, 2023
It remains separated deal from Moisés Caicedo. https://t.co/429Gk20kjY
Bayern Munich called it their ‘final offer’ for Harry Kane and it appears it has been rejected by Tottenham.
Per several reports, including from our partners at Sky Germany and David Ornstein, Spurs have turned down Bayern’s offer as it fell way short of their valuation of the England skipper. Per Sky Germany, Bayern insist they are still in talks to sign Kane.
Kane, 30, has less than a year left on his contract at Tottenham and can leave on a free next summer. Bayern have offered close to $95 million for Kane but Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is digging his heels in and hoping Kane will sign a new contract.
This is a very risky move from Levy as Kane can agree a free transfer to a non-European club from January 1 and he can also just let his contract run down and sign for one of Spurs’ rivals next summer on a free. Kane scored four goals for Spurs in their friendly win against Shakhtar Donetsk at the weekend and looks as sharp as ever heading into the new season as all of this speculation does not seem to have impacted him.
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou said recently that he wanted this Kane situation sorted out as soon as possible. Well, that doesn’t look like it will happen and the best Spurs can hope for now is that Ange leads Spurs (with Kane leading the way, obviously) to a superb start to the season and that convinces Kane to sign a new contract.
🚨 Bayern Munich have seen latest offer for Harry Kane rejected by Tottenham. After proposals in June + July turned down #FCBayern were £25m short of #THFC valuation. Talks last week led to improved bid but that has now been knocked back too @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/R7zVBWjGez
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) August 7, 2023
Chelsea are working on solutions for Romelu Lukaku and it appears a deal with Juventus which includes Dusan Vlahovic heading to Stamford Bridge is a possibility.
Per a report from Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea and Juve have talks lined up as the two clubs try and work out a deal.
Juventus want $44 million and Lukaku to let Vlahovic leave, while Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has to make the final decision on Vlahovic as he already has Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson as new arrivals in attack.
However, Vlahovic is a different type of attacker and surely he is the type of targetman Chelsea need to help bring Jackson, Nkunku, Raheem Sterling and others into the game?
With Lukaku’s move to Inter Milan off, he is now running out of options but Juve is a good one if this works out.
Chelsea and Juventus have scheduled new round of talks to discuss Vlahović and Lukaku swap deal. It will take place via intermediaries. 🚨🔵 #Juve #CFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 7, 2023
Juve insist on €40m fee to be included but crucial point is Chelsea decision on Vlahović — it’s up to Pochettino. pic.twitter.com/Mv33VqjjEv
West Ham United looks to have finally secured Declan Rice’s replacement and it is Mexico star Edson Alvarez.
According to multiple reports, including this one from Fabrizio Romano, West Ham have agreed a $44 million fee with Ajax for Alvarez.
The holding midfielder will be a direct replacement for Rice and this is a huge step for the El Tri star. He has impressed at Ajax over the last few seasons but was ready to move on and after being linked with a move to the Premier League on many occasions, it looks like he will now land at West Ham.
This is a good move for him but he also has absolutely massive shoes to fill as Rice was one of the best players in West Ham’s history. Still, Alvarez is a ready-made replacement as he wins the ball back and then starts attacks and he is extremely good at reading the game and shielding his defense.
EXCLUSIVE: Édson Álvarez to West Ham, here we go! Verbal agreement with Ajax for total package around £34/35m fee 🚨⚒️🇲🇽 #WHUFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 7, 2023
Álvarez will fly to London in the next 24 hours in order to undergo medical tests and sign contracts.
Personal terms agreed as revealed on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/rWHO81cKQN
USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner is closing in on a move to Nottingham Forest from Arsenal.
According to several reports, including the one below from Fabrizio Romano, Turner will undergo his medical at Forest and join on a permanent deal. Turner was part of Arsenal’s squad on Sunday as they won the Community Shield at Wembley on penalty kicks against Manchester City.
However, Turner is unlikely to get ahead of Aaron Ramsdale to become Arsenal’s starting goalkeeper and per the same report, David Raya is their new target to be Ramsdale’s back-up.
Turner will do battle with Wayne Hennessey and fellow USMNT goalkeeper Ethan Horvath, while Dean Henderson is also expected to join from Manchester United. Given all of those goalkeeping options, it seems likely Turner will be the No. 1 at Forest and that is why he’s agreed to this move.
To become a regular for a Premier League club was the next step for Turner after he played in cup competitions for Arsenal last season.
Matt Turner will undergo medical today at Forest — deal agreed on permanent transfer as revealed on Friday. 🔴🌳🇺🇸 #NFFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 7, 2023
Here we go, confirmed.
🔴 New round of talks scheduled for Dean Henderson deal.
🇪🇸 Arsenal, increasingly confident to get David Raya deal done very soon. pic.twitter.com/duDnXBRf7h
Tottenham may have one for the future.
Alejo Veliz, 19, is rumored to be making the move from Rosario Central to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and initial reports of a loan back to the Argentine club may be inaccurate.
A $16.5 million deal is said to be happening, and Veliz is ready to go.
He scored 11 times last season and turns 20 next month. Learning under Harry Kane, if there, would be a nice apprenticeship.
Alejo Véliz on his way to London: “I just wait to sign my contract with Spurs, it’s imminent”. ⚪️🇦🇷
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 6, 2023
❗️ Véliz confirms he’s not being loaned to Rosario: “I will say goodbye to the fans with formal message”.
“I spoke with Gio Lo Celso and he told me that I will have his support”. pic.twitter.com/Z3JuKPaXfh
It took a very short time viewing any of Aston Villa’s preseason performances at the Premier League Summer Series to notice Jaden Philogene-Bidace.
Count Jurgen Klopp as one who’s done that, as Liverpool is said to be speaking with the forward’s representatives ahead of a possible transfer bid. Philogene is in the last year of his contract with Villa.
The 21-year-old has spent the last year-and-a-half on loan away from Villa, and he scored four times last season for Cardiff City in the Championship.
Philogene is an extremely versatile player who likes to function at left wing but can operate in any attacking position and Klopp has targeted players like that — Cody Gakpo comes to mind — in recent history.
Perhaps even a purchase and a loan back to Villa?
Brighton and Hove Albion are about to strike another big blow in their quest to win in the Premier League and Europa League.
David Ornstein reports that the Seagulls and Ajax have reached an agreement in principle for the transfer of Mohammed Kudus in what will be a club record deal for Brighton. The price tag? About $44 million.
Kudus just turned 23 on Aug. 2 and is coming off a 19-goal, 7-assist season across all competitions with Ajax. He also scored a brace for Ghana against South Korea as part of 250 minutes for the Black Stars at the World Cup.
Kudus had also been linked with Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester United amongst others, and that first name is most interesting due to its transfer history with Brighton.
The Seagulls are, of course, holding out for over $110 million from Chelsea for Moises Caicedo. The Blues, in turn, refused to be swayed to see Levi Colwill to Brighton after his terrific loan stint last season.
Brighton just sold Robert Sanchez to Chelsea and lost manager Graham Potter to the same location early last season. Chelsea also signed Brighton star Marc Cucurella while selling Billy Gilmour to the Blues the previous season, and bought Tariq Lamptey from the Londoners in 2019.
Chelsea has placed a bid for Michael Olise, the Crystal Palace star linked with both the Blues and Manchester City.
The Blues have reportedly lodged a $33 million bid for Olise, according to RMC Sport in France. Palace has been said to want about $63 million for the 21-year-old, who has a reported $44 million release clause.
The Manchester Evening News says City has ‘stepped up’ their interest in Olise now that Riyad Mahrez has gone to Saudi Arabia. City would be prepared to trigger his release clause.
The playmaker was part of Chelsea’s academy for six years and Man City’s for two before finding a home at Reading, where he made his senior debut.
Olise has four goals and 16 assists in 63 Premier League appearances covering 3,890 minutes.
Folarin Balogun’s made some big decisions this year. A number of factors might be aiding his next big choice, and those include a London club who doesn’t hold his contract and one of Arsenal’s Premier League rivals.
Balogun is famously being considered for a move to Inter Milan, who have so far waffled on meeting Arsenal’s $44 million asking price.
West Ham is said to be on the verge of selling Gianluca Scamacca to Atalanta, and the Irons’ breakthrough on their ask probably has plenty to do with the $91 million Atalanta’s received from Manchester United for Rasmus Hojlund, who was unveiled at Old Trafford earlier Saturday.
Scamacca was also wanted by Inter Milan, and Sky Italia says that Balogun is the preferred player of two remaining high-interest targets for the Nerazzurri.
Inter has reportedly offered a package of around $33 million that includes $5.5 million in bonuses as well as a high percentage of a future resale for Balogun.
Inter’s other option is said to be 25-year-old Udinese striker Beto, who has scored 11 and 10 goals in two Serie A seasons.
Crystal Palace has added an exciting young attacker to the fold in Flamengo playmaker Matheus Franca.
The 19-year-old joins on a five-year deal, with reports saying the fee is around $33 million. He’s scored nine times in 54 senior appearances despite his tender age, and his advanced statistics are absolutely electric.
Here’s Palace chairman Steve Parish, via cpfc.co.uk:
“Matheus is a young and exciting player whose impressive early progress we have followed with keen interest, and we are delighted to welcome him to the club. Palace have a long history of attacking players with skill, pace, and tenacity, and I am sure Matheus will be another popular addition to the nucleus of this young and entertaining squad, packed full of international talent and potential, that we are building here in south London.”
Franca, 19, would’ve been able to get plenty of insight on London from current teammates David Luiz and Filipe Luis.
The Flamengo attacking midfielder has been billed as one of the club’s best ever prospects, a club that has sent Vinicius Junior, Lucas Paqueta, Adriano, and Julio Cesar through its ranks.
Manchester City has made it official with perhaps the best young center back in the world.
Josko Gvardiol has joined fellow Croatian national teamer Mateo Kovacic in becoming a Man City summer signing, as City looks to defend its treble (?!) this season.
It’s a reported $98 million purchase from RB Leipzig. City director of football Txiki Begiristain listed his attributes.
“Josko has so many qualities – everything you want in a centre-half,” Begiristain said. “He is fast, competitive, combative, strong in the air, impressive in possession of the ball, with strong self-belief and a good character. He is left-footed, too, which offers us good options at the back.”
Gvardiol will wear No. 24 for City.
Rasmus Hojlund has seen his “dream come true” after signing for Manchester United.
The reported $92 million striker was paraded onto the pitch at Old Trafford on Saturday as United announced the long-expected and quite expensive deal for the 20-year-old.
“It is no secret that I have been a fan of this great club since I was a small boy, and I dreamed of walking out at Old Trafford as a Manchester United player,” Hojlund said.
He’s signed for United through the 2027-28 season, with an option for another season, and will try to build on a nine-goal Serie A season for Atalanta. Hojlund also has six goals in six caps for Denmark at his tender age.
A complete center forward, Hojlund will now have the chance to grow under Erik ten Hag with more than a little pressure on his position as United tries to win the Premier League.
AC Milan finally turned the rumors into news, announcing the signing of 20-year-old Yunus Musah from Valencia.
Musah reportedly comes with a near- $20 million fee and Milan says his contract runs through the 2027-28 season.
[ MORE: Chelsea adds USWNT prospect Fishel ]
Musah’s played all over the pitch but mainly in the midfield, with most of those appearances coming centrally where he also plays for the national team. He’s going to wear No. 80, which is both odd and very Serie A.
Musah has 27 USMNT caps and two assists. He played all but 15 of the USMNT’s 360 minutes at the 2022 World Cup.
Crystal Palace’s slow summer in the transfer market could become a bit faster, and soon.
Roy Hodgson’s men are reportedly trying to go back to a Chelsea loan well that has served them, uh, well, and also looking to Bayer Leverkusen for a loan with an obligation to buy.
We’ll get to the Chelsea loan in a minute, but let’s start with the player who would eventually become a full-time Eagle: Odilon Kossounou.
The 22-year-old from Bayer Leverkusen already had 17 caps for the Ivory Coast and has impressed in the Bundesliga since making a $26 million move from Club Brugge in 2021.
Kossounou is a center back but has played some right back (for club) and defensive midfield (for country). His fee would breach $30 million.
As for the loan, Chelsea’s been a good spot for Palace hunting over the years. Conor Gallagher has starred for the Blues, who also
The next move could be for Lewis Hall, who broke through for the Blues last season and is reportedly on the verge of a new contract.
The 18-year-old left back played nine Premier League matches last season as well as a pair of cup appearances. He played plenty in the Premier League Summer Series but is not slated to start at Chelsea, where Marc Cucurella and Ben Chilwell live well.
Tottenham Hotspur appear to be nearing a breakthrough in their search for defensive help, as Micky van de Ven may be arriving from Wolfsburg.
Van de Ven, 22, is close to a $55 million move from the Bundesliga to the Premier League, giving Spurs a very good left-sided center back once a medical is completed in the coming days.
A good passer and excellent ball carrier, Van de Ven gives Ange Postecoglou another cog in his defensive machine following the addition of goalkeeper Gugliemo Vicario.
Spurs have also added attackers James Maddison and Manor Solomon this summer, while Lucas Moura and Harry Winks have left the club and the big fish — club legend Harry Kane — is still swimming in the North London pond for the moment.
Josko Gvardiol is undergoing a physical and could be announced as a new Manchester City player very soon.
This isn’t a rumor, but words from the mouth of Josep ‘Pep’ Guardiola.
The Man City boss will add one of the world’s best top young defenders — if not the best — to a crop that produced a Premier League joint-best 33 goals conceded last season.
Josko Gvardiol is, you might’ve wondered, pretty much the Croatian translation of Josep Guardola.
“Regarding Gvardiol – what a beautiful surname he has – he’s doing a medical test. Everybody knows he’s here, and hopefully we can finish the deal in the next hours, the next days.”
Some have speculated that Gvardiol, who can also play left back, would mark the end for Aymeric Laporte’s solid tenure at Man City. The side may be more fierce than last season despite the exists of Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan.
Is today the day Harry Kane learns it’s his choice whether to leave Tottenham Hotspur for Bayern Munich?
Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg says Bayern has submitted an offer for Kane that can reach $110 million with bonuses and that it is expecting an answer within hours.
Other reports claim that Bayern has set a deadline of Midnight for Daniel Levy to respond to the bid.
If Spurs accept — and at $110 million it would be difficult to say no — Kane, 30, would then have to decide whether he’s prepared to leave Tottenham this summer.
The answer could well dictate whether the Premier League goals record could be broken by Kane. The striker is 47 goals behind Alan Shearer and would be 2-3 seasons from breaking it given health should he stay at Spurs. Just a few seasons away from the Premier League could seriously hamper his chances of chasing down the king.
❗️Excl. News #Kane: Bayern has submitted a new offer of more than €100m now - with bonus payments included ✔️
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) August 4, 2023
➡️ Bayern bosses expect an answer in the hours! #COYS@SkySportDE 🏴 pic.twitter.com/PfKdQdiYdX
Chelsea’s sending big words out regarding reported Axel Disasi, the center back arriving Friday with a reported $50 million price tag.
The Blues call the 25-year-old Disasi “a formidable presence in the air, an intelligent reader of the game, and a defender capable of being used a right-back when required.”
That’s an interesting note given young Malo Gusto is currently the only senior right back behind Reece James on the Chelsea squad. The terrific James missed 22 Premier League games last season and a dozen the previous campaign.
Disasi, 6-foot-3, broke into the French team late last year and has four caps to his name, and he’s played some right back in the NT set up. He chewed up minutes for Monaco last season, scoring thrice and picking up three assists.
Chelsea have reportedly agreed a fee with Brighton for Spanish goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
Per Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea have agreed a package worth up to $31.6 million for Sanchez. Per the same report, talks between the clubs over a move for Moises Caicedo continue. Brighton want over $125 million for their star midfielder but perhaps Chelsea could now get a slightly lower price seeing as they’ve taken Brighton’s second-choice goalkeeper off their hands?
Sanchez is a very good goalkeeper and excelled under Graham Potter before falling out of favor under Roberto De Zerbi. Perhaps the Spanish international goalkeeper will be the No. 1 at Chelsea but if he isn’t, he will push fellow Spanish international Kepa all the way. This is a very good move for the Blues and also means young American goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina will be heading out on loan somewhere.
Chelsea have agreed fee around £20m fixed for Robert Sánchez — it includes add ons up to £25m package 🚨🔵
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 3, 2023
Long term deal verbally agreed with Sánchez who always wanted to join #CFC.
🇪🇨 Caicedo talks continue in separate deal.
🇺🇸 Slonina will now leave on loan.
Here we go ✔️ pic.twitter.com/aJn5BDF1oe
According to a report from The Athletic, Manchester City are one giant step closer to acquiring perhaps the best center back prospect in the world, 21-year-old Josko Gvardiola, from RB Leipzig. $98.6 million is the reported fee.
Gvardiol shone brightly at the 2022 World Cup, as Croatia made a run to another semifinal in Qatar, while also helping Leipzig to the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League, where they were very rudely bounced by Man City, 8-1 in the round of 16.
So far, Brentford’s $51 million asking price for star goalkeeper David Raya has scared off suitors but Arsenal’s apparently ready to dip deeper into its pockets.
The Gunners were tipped by David Ornstein to go back in for Raya over the weekend and now Fabrizio Romano says that the Premier League runners-up have agreed to contract terms with the 27-year-old.
Now Arsenal will have to find a price agreement for the Spaniard, whose numbers at Brentford show a keeper very well suited for Mikel Arteta’s system.
This could eventually find Aaron Ramsdale in the backup’s role and Matt Turner on his way out for playing time. The USMNT man has been linked with Nottingham Forest if the Tricky Trees cannot land Dean Henderson from Manchester United
Understand David Raya has reached an agreement in principle with Arsenal on personal terms 🚨🔴⚪️ #AFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 1, 2023
Brentford have been informed by player side that he wants to join Arsenal — and talks between clubs over formula/price are now expected to accelerate. pic.twitter.com/jnUlQsXyDU
Chelsea’s announced the transfer of Lesley Ugochukwu from Rennes.
Ugochukwu is said to carry a price tag of nearly $30 million, and the 19-year-old signed a seven-year deal with the Blues. He has earned praise from Chelsea’s hierarchy and could be a part of Wednesday’s friendly against Borussia Dortmund in Chicago.
“We’re delighted Lesley is joining Chelsea,” said Chelsea’s co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley said. “He is an impressive young player who has already made his mark in Ligue 1. He has a huge amount of potential and we know he is going to continue to develop and improve. We are pleased that he has joined us in the U.S and that he will be able to integrate with the squad quickly.”
Now we wait to see whether previous reporting Ugochukwu may join Chelsea’s new sister club Strasbourg on loan for this upcoming season comes true, as he’ll first get a chance to shine in front of new boss Mauricio Pochettino.
Earlier this week, Pochettino did not seem to indicate any expectations of a starring role for the $30M man, but he later walked back that snipe.
“Today is going to be his first training session with us,” Pochettino told reporters Tuesday. “He is a young, talented player. We don’t know if he will have the possibility to play tomorrow as we need to assess him. We will assess him for the transfer window to see if he will be with us because he is young. He has the possibility to be on loan or stay with us.”
Our friends at Sky Sports say that Bayern Munich is prepared to spend as much as $110 million to bring Harry Kane to Germany, and that both Bayern and Spurs are confident they will reach an agreement for the English striker (video here).
Sky’s Kaveh Solhekol cites reports in Germany and London saying Bayern is ready to give the 30-year-old Kane a five-year contract that would make him the highest earner on the club’s payroll. The deal would smash Bayern’s transfer record.
He also reports that Kane has a personal transfer deadline of Opening Day, meaning he’ll stay at Tottenham and see out the final year of his contract should Spurs not accept an offer prior to the 9am ET kickoff at Brentford on Sunday, August 13.
If Tottenham doesn’t reach an agreement before then, it would be betting on Ange Postecoglou’s project to come good quickly and show Kane a reason to stay with the club. Otherwise, it would have no control over Kane’s future and the megastar could haunt them domestically with Manchester United or another club come this time next season (2024-25).
It is nearly done. Rasmus Hojlund is closing in on his move to Manchester United.
Per Fabrizio Romano, United have got their new forward.
Hojlund, 20, is set to sign for United in a deal worth over $92 million as the Danish forward will have a lot of pressure on his shoulders to deliver right away at Old Trafford.
Per the report, Hojlund is on his way to England and will start his medical today and he will sign a five-year contract with the option of an extra year.
Rasmus Højlund is now travelling to England in order to undergo main part of medical tests as new Manchester United player later today 🚨🔴🛩 #MUFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 1, 2023
Documents exchanged between clubs, Højlund will sign until June 2028 with option for further season. pic.twitter.com/D8KfCnrybn
USMNT captain Tyler Adams is reportedly interesting Chelsea as the central midfielder appears to be moving on from Leeds this summer.
Adams, 24, reportedly has a relegation release clause in his contract and that makes him a very attractive proposition as the likes of West Ham and Aston Villa have previously been linked with the holding midfielder who could cost as little as $25 million up front, while there will also be add-ons.
Per a report from The Times, Chelsea are also lining up a bid for Adams as they struggle to sign their top midfield target Moises Caicedo. They are also looking at Ajax and Mexico midfielder Edson Alvarez and Celta Vigo’s Gabri Veiga.
Would a move to Chelsea be a good idea for Adams? Probably.
Mauricio Pochettino loves to have a midfield enforcer and Chelsea are currently light on numbers in central midfield and if Adams is their only major addition in that area, he should get plenty of minutes. However, Chelsea do have a large squad and there is the risk of him not playing regularly if he does join the Blues. Adams is also still recovering from a serious hamstring injury so won’t be ready for a little while. Whatever happens, it is pretty clear Adams won’t be at Leeds beyond the summer window and given his performances last season, he deserves to be in the Premier League.
West Ham United may miss out on Harry Maguire but find a cheaper, just as strong alternative in Jonathan Tah.
The 27-year-old Bayer Leverkusen center back with 16 caps for Germany is said to have a release clause of just under $20 million.
Tah has piled up more than 300 appearances for Leverkusen since arriving from Hamburger SV in 2015.
Football Reference favorably compares Tah with Premier League center backs Nathan Collins, Marc Guehi, and former Irons back Issa Diop.
A trio of mid-afternoon updates for you this final day in July.
- Davinson Sanchez could stay in the Premier League after all. The Tottenham Hotspur defender had been ticketed for a sale to Spartak Moscow but didn’t fancy the move. Also linked were Galatasaray, but it seems Nottingham Forest has jumped into the picture with the opportunity to stay in England.
- Another North London player could make a move within the Premier League if Albert Sambi Lokonga is ready to make another loan away from Arsenal. A report out of Belgium says the 23-year-old could follow-up his season at Palace with a move to play for Vincent Kompany at Burnley.
- Everton’s looking to Portugal to help solve its center forward issues following a slow summer for the Goodison Park set. The Toffees missed out on El Bilal Toure but may be close to adding $20 million teenager Youssef Chermiti from Sporting Lisbon. Wolves and Bournemouth have also been mentioned as suitors for the prolific Portuguese youth international who has three goals and two assists in 22 senior appearances for Sporting.
Crystal Palace has a ‘done deal’ with Flamengo for teenage star Matheus Franca, pending a medical according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Eagles will pay $22 million for Franca and could pay $11 million in add-ons. The attacking midfielder and winger won’t be 20 until April and already has nine goals in 54 appearances for Flamengo.
Franca is a Brazil youth international who had also been linked with Chelsea — strongly at that — and Real Madrid. He’s a committed player in all areas of the pitch and perhaps the lure of an easier route to playing time got him to Selhurst Park instead of Stamford Bridge.
Crystal Palace are set to sign Brazilian talent Matheus França! Documents are being exchanged between clubs — here we go 🚨🔵🔴🇧🇷 #CPFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 30, 2023
Understand Flamengo will receive €20m fixed fee plus €10m in add-ons.
Medical booked for next week, as per @cahemota. Done deal. pic.twitter.com/Kb5RZuOTTU
It seems that Chelsea and Brighton have been chatting away during the Premier League Summer Series in the USA.
That is because Chelsea are reportedly in talks to sign Brighton and Spain goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
Per a report from The Guardian, Chelsea are discussing terms with Brighton about signing Sanchez.
The Spaniard fell out of favor last season after Roberto De Zerbi arrived with Jason Steele becoming Brighton’s No. 1.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Sanchez, 25, is said to want the move to Chelsea and a formal bid has been sent.
It is also reported that Chelsea and Brighton remain in talks over a deal for Moises Caicedo, with the Seagulls holding out for close to $130 million for the Ecuadorian midfielder.
With Kepa the starter at Chelsea, Sanchez will push him all the way and it would be easy to see either of the Spanish internationals being the starter for the Blues. Samchez is very good with the ball at his feet and has proven himself in the Premier League over the last few seasons.
Chelsea have sent formal bid for Robert Sánchez to Brighton. Negotiations are ongoing — told Sánchez has already accepted Chelsea as destination 🚨🔵 #BHAFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 31, 2023
Brighton hope for Sánchez to leave this summer.
🇪🇨 Chelsea and Brighton remain in talks also for Moisés Caicedo. pic.twitter.com/LUtaj6fCpk
Numerous reports state that Bayern Munich officials have flown to London to meet with Tottenham over a possible deal for Harry Kane.
Per our partners in the UK at Sky Sports, Bayern officials are ready to offer a ‘club record bid’ for Kane, 30, as they seek to sign the England captain. That would mean a transfer fee of close to $100 million for Kane.
Sky in Germany say that Bayern chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen and technical director Eric Neppe have flown to London for talks. Per the report, with Sadio Mane set to leave Bayern for Saudi Arabia the German giants now have even more funds to spend on Kane.
Kane has just one year left on his Tottenham contract and has shown no signs of signing a new deal at his boyhood club.
The all-time leading goalscorer for England and Tottenham can leave on a free transfer next summer and per previous reports, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is under pressure to sell Kane this summer rather than lose him for nothing.
Liverpool continue to rebuild their midfield and Romeo Lavia appears to be their next target.
Lavia, 19, is set to leave recently-relegated Southampton this summer but the Saints are holding out for close to $65 million for the Belgian international.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool will submit a new bid of $57.8 million as they have been locked in negotiations with Southampton.
After already adding midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai this summer, plus losing plenty of veterans including captain Jordan Henderson in that area too, Liverpool’s midfield will have a totally different look to it this season.
Lavia is exceptional in winning the ball back, holding it and using it wisely and his positional sense should see him slot straight in to one of the holding roles at Liverpool.
Liverpool second bid for Roméo Lavia, in the region of £45m package and ready since last week — to be sent soon. 🔴 https://t.co/gPWePN3VK7
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 31, 2023
USMNT defender Auston Trusty could well be on the move in the Premier League as Sheffield United want to sign him from Arsenal.
Trusty, 24, has been at Arsenal over the last few seasons after joining from the Colorado Rapids. He excelled on loan at Birmingham City in the Championship last season (he won the Blues’ player of the season) and now reports from The Daily Telegraph and our partners in the UK at Sky Sports says that the Blades want to sign him.
Per Sky Sports, Sheffield United are willing to pay $6.4 million for Trusty. There are also reports suggesting a season-long loan could be likely.
Whatever the deal turns out to be, this is a very good move for Trusty. He was excellent in the Championship and he deserves this chance to play in the Premier League. New boys Sheffield United need defensive reinforcements and Trusty has a chance to be a regular in the Steel City.
Center back is an area where the USMNT need more options too and Trusty playing week in, week out in the Premier League will only boost his chances of being a big part of Gregg Berhalter’s plans over the next few years ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Linked with Newcastle amongst a host of teams, Axel Disasi looks to be moving to Chelsea.
The 6-foot-3 defender was listed as a possible $30 million buy for the Magpies but Sky Sports says that Chelsea’s agreed to stump up nearly $50 million for Disasi following the long-term injury suffered by Wesley Fofana earlier this summer.
Disasi, 25, broke into the French team late last year and has four caps to his name, and he’s played some right back in the NT set up. He chewed up minutes for Monaco last season, scoring thrice and picking up three assists.
He’s an excellent ball carrier and progressor whose advanced stats show a distinguished reading of the game, and this could be a huge coup for the Blues and a minor setback for the Magpies.
David Ornstein is reporting that Arsenal wants competition for Aaron Ramsdale beyond current backup Matt Turner.
USMNT backstop Turner is being linked with a move away from Arsenal, who is said to be considering a bid for Brentford’s David Raya. Bayern Munich’s been linked with Raya, but Ornstein says only for a loan not the $50 million wanted by Brentford.
Raya’s advanced stats are well clear of Ramsdale, particularly when it comes to ball possession and cross collection.
Ornstein says Nottingham Forest has been eyeing Turner, though the Tricky Trees have a different figure in mind than the Gunners would expect for the 29-year-old American. Turner played seven times for Arsenal last season, keeping four clean sheets but never playing in the Premier League.
Forest currently have fellow USMNT keeper Ethan Horvath and Welsh veteran Wayne Hennessey on the books and have been pursuing a reunion with Man United’s Dean Henderson. Horvath has been linked with multiple clubs in the Championship following a starring role in Luton Town’s promotion.
🚨 EXCL: Arsenal exploring deal to sign Brentford goalkeeper David Raya. No bid yet but #BrentfordFC aware of interest. #FCBayern also pursuing but 27yo keen to join #AFC. #NFFC considering Matt Turner; gap in valuations but dialogue ongoing @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/0D69bVZ75Q
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) July 30, 2023
Red Bull Salzburg defender Oumar Solet is excited by the prospect of Premier League football amid reported attention from Newcastle United and Everton.
Solet, 23, is towering center back who represented France at the youth international levels but is also eligible to play for the Central African Republic.
“For sure the Premier League excites me a lot,” Solet told The Daily Mail. “‘I feel it’s a league that I can perform in really well and it can bring me to the top. It’s probably the best league in the would. I feel if I have the chance it’s going to help make me become the top player I want to be.”
Solet signed from Lyon in 2018 but made only four appearances for the club before moving to Salzburg in 2020. He’s gone on to play 80 times for the Austrian side, scoring twice with four assists.
He was the league’s top-rated player by FotMob and its third-best rated player by SofaScore last season, passing at a league-best 88.46% and in the top 35 for tackles (no small feat playing for a club that often has the ball). His 66 interceptions ranked fifth in Austria, and his 86 clearances were 20th (Sofascore).