A rundown of some of the biggest deadline day deals which could take place as the summer transfer window draws to a close.
Transfer deadline day is upon us, and with it the end of a frantic summer filled with improbable and hugely expensive deals – and there could be a few more huge signings between now and the close of play at 23:00 BST on Tuesday evening.
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With so many rumours doing the rounds, it can be rather tricky to keep up with everything that’s going on, so below we’ve pulled together a quick guide to some of the biggest deals that we’re expecting to happen before the window slams shut. Nobody ever closes it gently, do they?
Enzo Fernández – Chelsea to Manchester City
Enzo Fernández has made little secret of his desire to leave Chelseaplaceholder image
Enzo Fernández has made little secret of his desire to leave Chelsea | Getty Images
The leading contender to be the biggest deal of deadline day. Fernández’s Chelsea future has been up in the air since he publicly discussed his desire to move to Real Madrid in the spring – an indiscretion for which his employers briefly suspended him – and while he won’t get his wish to go to Spain, he does look likely to move to the Etihad instead.
Negotiations are ongoing, with the transfer fee likely to end up at around £120m, which would make him Manchester City’s new record signing. Fernández was left out of Xabi Alonso’s squad this past weekend and all signs point towards a massive deal taking place.
Lamine Camara to Chelsea
Chelsea have a couple of options in mind when they come to replace Fernández, and it appears as though Monaco midfielder Camara is at the top of their list – but reports disagree as to how advanced negotiations are, and it’s hard to be certain that the Blues will get this one over the line.
An all-action box-to-box midfielder who has drawn rave reviews for his work in France over the past few years, Camara would likely prove to be a fine signing, but Monaco won’t let him go on the cheap. Roma’s Manu Koné is a potential alternative should the Senegalese international prove to be unobtainable for any reason.
Iliman Ndiaye to Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur or Arsenal
Ndiaye looks likely to have made his last appearance for Everton - but where will he end up?placeholder image
Ndiaye looks likely to have made his last appearance for Everton - but where will he end up? | Getty Images
Spurs have spent a small fortune this summer only to end up drawing a blank in each of their first two Premier League games – as such, they seem keen to splash the cash one more time in order to sign Ndiaye from Everton, but they won’t find it easy to complete a deal, given that Manchester City are also in the mix and have reportedly had a £65m offer accepted.
There have even been some stories which suggest that Arsenal could attempt to hijack this deal at the death, and the Senegal international could end up at any number of different teams. The only thing which seems near certain at this stage is that he won’t be playing at the Hill Dickinson Stadium for the rest of the season.
Julián Alvarez to Arsenal
The Gunners would only be bidding for Ndiaye if they failed to land Alvarez, their number one target – but they are running low on time to persuade the Argentine to abandon his dream move to Barcelona.
Alvarez has his heart set on the Camp Nou, Atlético Madrid are refusing to sell to a direct rival, and now it’s up to Alvarez whether to take the runners-up prize and make the switch to the Emirates or to stick it out in the Spanish capital and hope that the supporters get over his very public attempts to force a move. Right now, it seems as though the odds are against Arsenal, but that won’t stop them from trying.
Jack Grealish to Everton
Could Grealish return to Everton on deadline day - or even head back to Villa Park?placeholder image
Could Grealish return to Everton on deadline day - or even head back to Villa Park? | Getty Images
Aston Villa and Sunderland have also been battling Everton in the hopes of agreeing a deal for Grealish, who seems set to leave the Etihad once again – but most sources agree that the 30-year-old has his heart set on a return to Merseyside. The question is whether Everton can agree a package with Manchester City in time.
If they can’t, then expect Villa and Sunderland to press their cases, but Everton seem like the favourites. Expect Everton to sign a right-back and likely a forward, too – they could be very busy. Sunderland are also trying to sign Marseille winger Igor Paixão regardless of the outcome of their bid for Grealish, but it sounds as though that bid has started to run up against the rocks as well.
Cody Gakpo to Manchester City or Tottenham Hotspur
Gakpo finds himself in a strange situation as the deadline approaches. Spurs have admired him for ages but may be out of the bidding after signing Sávio. Manchester City opened talks, but The Athletic reported on Monday that they were pulling out over the asking price. There’s time for all that to change, however.
Liverpool want £85m and won’t sell unless they can find a replacement in time. That’s a lot of barriers between Gakpo and a move – he allegedly prefers City if he gets the choice – and it may well be that he ends up staying at Anfield for another six months. That’s the direction everything seems to be heading in right now, but there have been plenty of twists and turns in this transfer window already. One more wouldn’t be a surprise.
Ismaïla Sarr to Liverpool
Senegal international Sarr's time at Selhurst Park could be coming to an endplaceholder image
Senegal international Sarr's time at Selhurst Park could be coming to an end | Getty Images
One of the players Liverpool could sign to smooth the path towards Gakpo’s departure is Crystal Palace and Senegal winger Sarr, who has missed the last couple of matches with an injury which has mysteriously coincided with his efforts to force a move away from Selhurst Park. Funny that.
The 28-year-old definitely wants the move but Palace are playing hardball, as they often do (remember the Marc Guéhi deal collapsing at the last minute?), and are supposedly demanding £75m. Will Liverpool stump up, or will Sarr be compelled to stay put?
A left-back, any left-back, to Manchester United
United might have finally signed all of the midfielders they so desperately wanted, but they’ve struggled to land a left-back – but we still expect them to make a move if they can find a deal they’re happy with.
Their first choice is Newcastle’s Lewis Hall, but the Magpies have made it abundantly clear that they won’t let Hall leave and it would take a colossal offer to twist their arm, if indeed it is twistable at all. United have been linked with a slew of full-backs elsewhere, so many that it’s hard to be sure who they’re truly keen on: Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde, Aston Villa’s Ian Maatsen and RB Leipzig’s David Raum are among the players to have been mentioned. Any of them could be a Manchester United player by the end of Tuesday.