Transfer news LIVE! Arsenal eye Ansu Fati; Lavia, Olise to Chelsea; Liverpool make Endo move; Amrabat fight
The transfer deadline is approaching ever closer as the Premier League’s biggest clubs compete to secure more major signings before the window slams shut on September 1. Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United are all now said to be on alert over Ansu Fati, who has apparently decided to leave Barcelona after struggling for regular starts under Xavi in LaLiga.
Arsenal may also be in the market for a replacement for injured summer recruit Jurrien Timber, with Manchester City duo Joao Cancelo and Aymeric Laporte linked. The bulk of the business right now is being concluded by Chelsea, who are set to follow the £115million British record signing of Moises Caicedo with a triple deal in the coming days for Romeo Lavia, Michael Olise and Deivid Washington.
Newcastle are looking to get Lewis Hall on a permanent transfer, while Liverpool have a medical booked for Stuttgart’s Wataru Endo after missing out on Caicedo and Lavia, with Cheick Doucoure also in their sights. They may also now battle Manchester United for Sofyan Amrabat, with Spurs eyeing Evan Ferguson and Gift Orban as West Ham step up their pursuits of Chelsea target Elye Wahi and Konstantinos Mavropanos. Follow all the latest transfer news, rumours and gossip live below!
Live updates
Midfielders on Liverpool agenda
Crystal Palace are fighting off interest from Liverpool in Cheick Doucoure, writes Standard Sport’s Dom Smith.
A new midfielder is high on the Reds’ transfer wish list amid the imminent arrival at Wataru Endo.
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Why Santos had to sell Deivid Washington to Chelsea
Chelsea are due to announce the signing of Deivid Washington imminently and Santos president Andres Rueda has been speaking about the deal.
He describes why he had “no other way” but to cash in on the teenager while detailing the “mandatory” add-ons involved in the £17m deal.
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Santi Cazorla returns to Oviedo
Santi Cazorla has returned to the club he first joined at the age of 11 in an emotional deal that stands to directly benefit the club’s academy.
Oviedo have signed the former Arsenal favourite on a season-long contract, following his stint in Qatar with Al Sadd.
The Spanish Segunda Division team will pay Cazorla, 38, the lowest wage allowed on a pro deal in the league reportedly worth in the region of £1,200-a-week.
Furthermore, the winger has ceded all image rights to his new club and agreed a deal that will see 10 per cent of the proceeds from all shirt sales bearing his name donated to the Oviedo academy.
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West Ham to battle Chelsea over Elye Wahi deal
Are Chelsea and West Ham about to battle it out for Elye Wahi?
The Montpellier striker, formerly on the radar at Arsenal, has been a target at Stamford Bridge all summer and Standard Sport reported yesterday that talks were still ongoing between the two clubs over the £30m-rated France Under-21 international.
But they could now face stern competition from London rivals West Ham, whom The Guardian say are seriously considering a move of their own for Wahi after offloading Gianluca Scamacca to Atalanta.
The report adds that the Hammers also want Bayer Leverkusen’s Odilon Kossounou as well as ex-Arsenal defender Konstantinos Mavropanos, with talks also held over Ajax’s Mohammed Kudus as Manchester City chase Lucas Paqueta.
Fulham weigh up Balogun bid as Tottenham links persist
Arsenal’s Folarin Balogun is still a key name to watch in the last couple of weeks of the summer transfer window.
The USA striker remains a hot property despite missing the start of the season with a foot injury, having starred on loan with French club Reims last term.
His 22 goals in 39 appearances for them has put Balogun firmly on the transfer radar of a number of clubs, with Arsenal seemingly willing to cash in for around £50m.
The Tottenham links are still persisting this morning, while the Daily Mail report that Fulham are weighing up a bid for his services as they prepare to sell attacking talisman Aleksandar Mitrovic to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia.
They add that Fulham also want Benfica defender Morato and Manchester United’s Eric Bailly.
Liverpool still want Gravenberch and Kone after Endo deal
Wataru Endo is certainly not the only player on Liverpool’s updated midfield transfer shortlist of course.
The Reds continue to be linked with plenty of other rumoured targets including Cheick Doucoure, Joao Palhinha, Kalvin Phillips, Khephren Thuram, Andre Trindade and many more.
According to the latest reports from Christian Falk of German outlet Bild, Liverpool also remain in the chase for Bayern Munich’s Dutch international Ryan Gravenberch.
He adds that another of their earlier summer targets could also be quickly revisited in the form of Borussia Monchengladbach’s Manu Kone.
Newcastle working to sign Chelsea’s Lewis Hall
Chelsea are also set to sanction a slew of further player exits to balance the books amid their ongoing big-money recruitment drive.
Standard Sport reported yesterday that Hakim Ziyech’s imminent move to Galatasaray will kick off another round of sales, with the Blues willing to offload Conor Gallagher, Trevoh Chalobah, Ian Maatsen and Malang Sarr. They could also loan out Carney Chukwuemeka and Lesley Ugochukwu.
One player most fans don’t want to lose is versatile academy graduate Lewis Hall, who made quite an impression after getting a first-team run under Frank Lampard last term.
The England Under-21 international had looked poised to move to Crystal Palace on loan, though that deal seems to have stalled.
Instead Newcastle are now said to be working on signing Hall as an alternative to Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney, according to The Athletic, with the player favouring a permanent exit over a loan despite only recently agreeing a new long-term contract at Stamford Bridge.
David Ornstein says Chelsea would demand a £35m fee and hefty sell-on clause if they were to part with him on a full-time basis.
Man United face Liverpool battle over Amrabat
Liverpool may also now rival Manchester United for the signing of Sofyan Amrabat.
Fiorentina’s highly-rated Moroccan midfielder has been reported as a key target for Erik ten Hag all summer, though it seems that an official bid for his services has yet to materialise.
That could now open the door for Liverpool, who Fabrizio Romano says have asked to be informed on the conditions of any deal.
We wait and see if the Reds do plan to properly hijack any move by their fiercest rivals for Amrabat.
Wataru Endo set for Liverpool medical as shock deal agreed
Liverpool are set to complete a shock deal for Wataru Endo, reports claim.
The Reds have been scrambling for midfield alternatives of late after missing out on both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to Chelsea in quick succession.
Liverpool had been strongly linked with Crystal Palace’s Cheick Doucoure as well as reportedly considering the likes of Joao Palhinha, Kalvin Phillips and Khephren Thuram, though Endo has now emerged as a surprise No1 target.
According to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, a deal worth £15.3m has now been agreed with Stuttgart over the 30-year-old Japan international, who has also settled on personal terms.
Endo will apparently have a medical today ahead of sealing his switch to Anfield.
Chelsea to complete Lavia, Olise and Washington deals
Chelsea remain the busiest club in the transfer market by far just at the moment.
British record £115m deal for Moises Caicedo now firmly in the bag, they are set to follow up that major signing with a TRIPLE deal over the coming days.
Romeo Lavia underwent a medical at Cobham yesterday after an initial £53m fee – potentially rising to £58m with add-ons – was agreed with Southampton for the Belgian midfielder on Tuesday night.
The same is also true of young Brazilian striker Deivid Washington, who is set to join from Santos in a deal worth £17m, with Chelsea set to decide whether or not he will be loaned straight out to partner club Strasbourg in France.
The Blues are also set to sign Michael Olise after triggering his £35m release clause, insisting their approach for the winger has been entirely above board amid reports that Crystal Palace are unhappy about their conduct over the deal.
Olise will also need to pass a medical of course and is currently sidelined with a hamstring tear.
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