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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Nick Ames

Transfer window: Chelsea sweat on Courtois; Chambers to Fulham – as it happened

Thibaut Courtois may be headed back to Madrid.
Thibaut Courtois may be headed back to Madrid. Photograph: Dave Shopland/BPI/REX/Shutterstock

That'll do for today

It’s been, shall we say, a “steady” eight hours or so of transfer news. Its highlights are thus:

  • Manchester United have made an approach to Bayern Munich for Jerome Boateng
  • Calum Chambers looks set to join Fulham on loan from Arsenal, who are linked with Croatian powerhouse Domagoj Vida
  • Axel Witsel has returned to Europe, signing for Borussia Dortmund
  • Dwight Gayle and Salomon Rondon are expected to swap places – leaving Newcastle and West Brom respectively – on loan
  • Thibaut Courtois’s Chelsea future remains up in the air

Come back tomorrow! Do! You will have Ben Fisher for company then. Thanks for all your emails and tweets, and sorry if I didn’t get to yours. See you again soon!

Updated

Yes, this seems to be A Thing. Reports suggest Cardiff are looking at bringing the big guy back to the Premier League from Besiktas!

Very quiet on the deals front now – but it’ll start heating up at the week draws on. Brinkmanship all over the place as things stand ...

Meanwhile – an alternative destination for Mina?

Done deal – Clarence Seedorf confirmed as Cameroon coach ... and will be assisted by Patrick Kluivert!

Shouldn’t be dull – nothing involving Fecafoot, the Cameroon FA, ever is. At the moment they are down to be leading Cameroon into a home Africa Cup of Nations in 2019 but it’s worth keeping your eye on that. There’s been some really bad violence in the Anglophone areas of the country and most of the stadia are well behind schedule, and I would’t be totally surprised if it was moved.

“Any news on any real Palace deals?” asks Matt Pearce. “Danny Ings? Bolasie return?? We still need more firepower. And for the record I’m 96% sure Zaha is staying.”

I think Zaha will stay. You really do need more firepower and I’d be surprised if Ings was your man to bang them in. Bolasie would be a good signing but Palace really need to build on that Max Meyer coup if they are to avoid problems.

A nice piece here from Richard Williams, who wonders if we’ll see Ryan Sessegnon’s thrilling talent express itself in the top flight this season:

Birmingham are to sign Omar Bogle on loan from Cardiff for the season – that one’s almost done. If the St Andrew’s crowd don’t adopt the Blur “Tender” song for their new striker then they are missing a trick.

“As a Chelsea fan I must say I’m rather worried,” trembles Benjamin Park. “We have some truly class players, but the overall quality is lacking. Don’t need to make a superstar signing, just a couple of good players. I know, easier said than done. As for Courtois, I’m not too worried. It’s not like he’s been shining for Chelsea recently (getting nutmegged twice by Messi isn’t exactly glorious).”

Fair points. I can’t see it happening for you this season. Sixth place is a real possibility but I hope Sarri gets a fair crack because this will need time. Of course, if Chelsea lose four in a row and the manager admits he doesn’t know how to turn it around, there’s always the headline: “I’M SARRI, I HAVEN’T A CLUE”.

Adam Gilbert adds to the Newcastle debate:

“I think much of the hulabaloo around Newcastle stems from frustration. Frustration at not kicking on and improving the side after a 10th place finish, at more broken promises from the owner and at not doing more to persuade the best manager they’ve had in years to stick around.

“Bar the longer term captures of Dubravka and Kenedy it’s almost been 1 in, 1 out. The squad has barely been improved, with arguably only Rondon (once confirmed) being an upgrade on Mitrovic (who will inevitably go and bag 20 for Fulham now!).

“With other teams improving their squads it really is like going backwards and I can’t see them doing better than a bit of a scrap near the bottom before securing a 14th place finish with 3 games to go.”

Is Rondon an upgrade on Mitrovic? I’m not completely sure.

Here’s our latest information on United’s move for Boateng, courtesy of Christian Falk – we can confirm an approach has been made:

Look, you know it’s a slow day when we’re reduced to speculating about gremlins in the Premier League’s system. I make you spot-on, Richard.

Here’s another done deal – Ahmed Musa’s move to Saudi Arabia has been confirmed. He flopped at Leicester but anyone who watched him in the World Cup might wonder if he could have tried a better league.

Adarsh Tripathi is relaxed about Chelsea ... but not so much about Courtois:

“For the first time in a long, long time a transfer window with almost no signings doesn’t worry me. Sarri has made it clear that he despises the transfer market as much as clean air. It isn’t surprising to see Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ethan Ampadu playing key roles in the pre season...It also isn’t surprising the amount of desperation we’re showing to keep Courtois. Chelsea needs Courtois. If the second choice keeper is Caballero, then you bet your life we’re gonna do everything in our power to keep Courtois. Simply because disgruntled Courtois > Caballero. A Hundred Times Better.”

Done deal or admin error? You do the mathS – but the Premier League’s website has Ruben Loftus-Cheek down as a Palace loan player for the 2018-19 season.

Not a lot going on, is there? But we’ll be laughing about this come Thursday afternoon, you and I, when the deals are being done and the transfer records being smashed and the club Twitter account “welcome” pageantry gets all the more elaborate. We’ll look back on today, I promise you.

And here’s our latest shiny season preview – it’s Andy Hunter on Liverpool.

*Alternative Newcastle take alert* – take it away, Shaun Wilkinson!

“I hope Newcastle’s players are raring to go and optimistic for the new season, despite having heard for weeks how inadequate they are from their own manager. The transfer window shutting early this season will work in Newcastle’s favour, I reckon - for all his qualities, Benitez’s constant politicking tends to distract him from his actual job. Twice last season, the team’s form picked up noticeably after the transfer window shut, and I think that will happen again. (Disclaimer - none of this is to be interpreted as a defence of Mike Ashley).”

Interesting – any Magpies like to agree or disagree? While we’re here, that Rondon/Gayle swap is on the verge of going through, as a season-long loan deal I think.

What about this – the first Football Weekly of the season is HERE!

Chelsea fans – if Courtois does want to leave, do you keep a disgruntled player? And can a deal really be done in the next three days, presumably with Real Madrid? It’s hardly an ideal situation when Sarri has so much other work to do to amass the squad he wants.

That Vida to Arsenal link is a bit odd, no? Wasn’t he ... with the greatest will in the world ... the weakest link in that wonderful Croatia team?

“It’s difficult to judge how good any Bayern player is when they win the league by 50 points every season,” writes David Flynn. “My gut feeling is Boateng won’t make United worse but with under a week to go and Jose expecting one more signing, is a centre back, any centre back, really the signing they need?”

I think they need a manager who lets them work without feeling straitjacketed. The playing personnel come afterwards.

As slated earlier – another done deal. United are a defender down now!!

“Another example of a club signing someone after playing against them in Europe is when Manchester City defeated Politehnica Timișoara but liked 6ft9 goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon so much we immediately brought him in,” emails Will, a City fan, apropos of that Rangers news.

Borna Barisic, a Croatian left-back, is very close to a £2.2m move from Osijek to Steven Gerrard’s Rangers - who must have liked what they saw when he scored against them in the Europa League a few days back.

I just can’t believe they vacated the car and left it stationary right in front of the hotel entrance – very selfish.

“Got to agree with Harris on this one,” says a bold Matt Turland. I’ve seen a fair few games that have involved a certain Mr Boateng and I am constantly struggling to see this aforementioned ‘quality’.

“He looks a little too suspect at the back and while he can play a nice ball every now and then, far too often I’ve seen him try something outlandish and fail to pull it off. And don’t get me started on his frustrating belief that he is good enough to repeatedly try to score from a minimum of 30 yards. The amount of times I’ve shouted at my TV screen when yet another one of his ‘I’m a striker, me’ efforts sails way over the bar (that’s if it managed to beat the first man).”

Aren’t we being a bit harsh? I think injuries have taken their toll over the last two or three years but, particularly before then, Boateng was a class act.

Done deal – Sevilla re-sign Aleix Vidal from Barcelona!

What is on Maurizio Sarri’s mind? Jacob Steinberg has the answers:

Swansea are back in for Brentford midfielder Ryan Woods, apparently. What a good start they had at the weekend ... but they remain some way short and need that dose of quality in midfield, even if Clucas stays.

I think Rafa’s going to be in situ for the start of the season, and probably some way beyond, despite all the present nonsense. But imagine where they’d be without him!

I think we can say this one is done.

One of Jose Mourinho’s cherished youngsters, Axel Tuanzebe, may be returning to Aston Villa on loan – presumably a situation that would be expedited if Boateng and/or anyone else came in.

“West Ham have done some very shrewd business,” notes Stephen Connolly. “Felipe Anderson, Wilshire, Issa Diop ... plus Pellegrini as manager. Do you expect them to make an impact this season?”

I think I do, because I really rate Pellegrini, but we need to see if Anderson can do it consistently while Wilshere, very sadly, is not the player he was five or six years ago. They still have that loose-cannon look about them but I’d trust the manager to get them into the top half, on balance.

I shall pass this on.

I’ve finished my not-at-all antisocial sushi al-desko so this is now me, Nick Ames, reclaiming the keyboard from Daniel Harris and surveying the CARNAGE he has left in his wake after denouncing Jerome Boateng.

Other rumours: Arsenal want to buy Domagoj Vida from Besiktas. In his defence, he did once have a can en route to a Cup game; in his defence, he’s not so good at football, and may well own a leather trenchcoat.

Also: United are not shy of centre-backs who aren’t always fit. The truth is, that unless they’re signing someone of Stam/Ferdinand/Vidic standard – and they’re not, because each of them, were the they playing now, would be up there with Godin and Varane – then they’d be much better off spending any money they have on full-backs.

Jérôme Boateng is one of those players I’ve watched a fair few times and never once thought yep, he’s a player, him. He’s not awful, obviously, but if he was good enough to make a difference at United, would Bayern be selling him? Obviously there are no rules to this kind of thing, but the rough answer is “No.”

Surely Manchester United aren’t going to buy Jérôme Boateng? Bild reckons that they are and they’re probably right - even though - because it makes no sense. They already have five decent but not elite centre-backs, so why not add another!

It’s obviously ridiculous to say that City need a player like Weigl, but they don’t have cover for Fernandinho. Weigl is obviously a lot better than that and is a player more in keeping with what Pep Guardiola usually seeks in defensive midfield, so would be a sensible purchase. To the extent that any of this is in any way sensible.

I wonder if Dortmund buying Witsel has anything to do with Manchester City’s purported interest in Julian Weigl. Probably not, but feel free to cite me as Sky Sources if necessary.

Nick has nicked out for some lunch, so Daniel Harris has taken over, he third personned.

Imminent deal: here’s Axel Witsel, complete with extravagantly-sized baggage, at Zurich airport ahead of what appears to be a move from Tianjin Quanjian to Borussia Dortmund.

Another Sky snippet – doesn’t look as if Sam Clucas will be joining Burnley from Swansea, with personal terms the issue. Surely Burnley need to add a few more faces. Ben Gibson was a good start but if they make it into the Europa League they’ll be hard pushed as things stand.

Elsewhere, there are reports that Courtois has told Maurizio Sarri he wants to leave Chelsea. More when we have it, if this has legs.

News from the north-east – the Rondon-Gayle swap between Newcastle and West Brom is live:

Matt Loten rightly pitches Fulham as a club that have done exciting summer business:

“Their squad is still a bit thin, but they have made shrewd additions in key areas without breaking the bank. Mawson brings strength and no small technical quality to the centre of defence, Seri is a brilliant addition in midfield, and Mitrovic is better than his patchy record at Newcastle might suggest, and should turn out to be far better value for money than his replacement on Tyneside, Salomon Rondon.

“Andre Schurrle on the right should bring experience and goals to the midfield as well. If the Chambers loan deal goes through that should also be a smart bit of business. They probably still need one or two more in lest one or two injuries to key players cause a crisis, but I don’t see many likely duds amongst the deals already done.”

Another done deal! Chelsea’s defensive stalwart Matt Miazga has joined Nantes in what I’m sure is purely a developmental loan.

Done deal in the Championship! Blackburn have signed Newcastle striker Adam Armstrong, previously on loan at Ewood Park, on a four-year contract. There were high hopes for Armstrong on Tyneside once; now he needs to settle down and make a career for himself.

That might be it, yes – whether Maguire is the man for that I’m not sure, but Alderweireld is pretty good in what we these days call “the transition”.

There’s a lot bubbling away, but few done deals to speak of as yet. That Shrewsbury pair, Nsiala and Nolan, are having medicals at Ipswich. It’s all I’ve got just now.

Here’s an interesting piece about the role of the player liaison officer. They’ll be busy this week, helping new players settle in:

A done deal in France – Bordeaux replace Malcom with Gent’s Samuel Kalu!

Reports in Sweden, meanwhile, suggest Reading winger Mo Barrow could be a target for Leicester. Barrow had a very good game in Friday night’s last-ditch defeat to Derby.

Matt Turland emails, as per my earlier plea, with his thoughts on the best transfer business:

“Wolves – You don’t have to like the way they’ve gone about their business but everything is above board (from a desperately weak EFL perspective anyway) so enough moaning and start dissecting. Some bloody brilliant business to follow up last year’s job. Moutinho has perhaps come 5 years late for my taste but he should still be a lovely option to have in the centre of the park. If everything clicks like it did last year – and it is a big if – then a top half finish beckons.

“Liverpool – Necessary signings made quickly and with minimum fuss. Strengthened the middle of the park fabulously and the signing of Alisson, whilst bordering on ridiculous from a cost perspective, should be a great signing. I didn’t buy into the whole ‘bad-keeper-cost-them’ vibe last year (CL Final outstanding) but a solid presence in front and behind their suspect rear-guard will undoubtedly make them stronger defensively.”

Watford transfers are easy to miss, in fairness – will they pay the price of having such a briskly revolving door this season? I think they might hit trouble.

I’ve had an update on Everton from our man on Merseyside, Andy Hunter. He says reports in Spain saying the club are on the verge of signing Barcelona’s Yerry Mina are untrue – but that this isn’t to say they are not trying to do a deal.

“Any thoughts on what Spurs might do/need to do this week?” asks Alan O’Connor. “Hearing rumours of Lewis Cook coming in, which could be a shrewd signing, but far from the marquee signing needed to really improve the starting XI. Martial would be ideal, but doesn’t seem likely at this point.”

It’s a bit of a million-dollar question. They’re leaving things just as late as usual, but there’s no guarantee anything will be done at all. Toby Alderweireld could yet be off to Manchester United, so they may need to do something about that. I think another midfielder in the Cook mould could be handy and a forward like Martial, too; and do they really have enough top-level cover for Harry Kane as things stand?

Another question for you all: which Premier League club has done the best business so far this summer and why? Show me your working.

Øyvind Røed has emailed to ask why Manchester United, decent defensively but too often dull going forward, should be prioritising a centre-back. I don’t have a good answer for that although there isn’t one obviously top-class, dominant defender among their current crop. Could Maguire be that man? I like him but probably not that much.

Can anybody fill in a few blanks about Benfica’s wunderkind Joao Felix? I’ve never seen him play but he is exceptionally highly-rated and seems to be very much on West Ham’s radar. Educate us – we like experts here.

Any excuse to keep this blog open ...

“There are strong rumours that Sheffield Wednesday (my team) are under a transfer embargo of sorts,” writes Mike McCarthy – not Mick McCarthy, who is of course a Leeds fan! “We haven’t signed anyone and have let a couple of first team players go. Have you heard anything about this?”

I’ve read a Yorkshire Post report suggesting the same – it’d be for FFP-related reasons – but nothing has been confirmed by the authorities. I have little sympathy for Wednesday, who went for broke and got it wrong. Will Championship clubs start to learn any time soon?

When is a deadline not a deadline? When it’s a soft deadline?

What do Leicester City need to add over the next few days? You’ll get a clue or two in the latest of our season previews, scribed by Paul Doyle:

A number of reports suggesting Aston Villa have had a bid for Bristol City’s left-back Joe Bryan accepted. I’m a big fan of Bryan, who you might remember scored a superb goal against Manchester United last season. Villa seem disposed to splash the cash around again ...

“It may be that I no longer pay as much attention,” begins Philip Taylor, immediately earning himself a rap around the knuckles. “But am I right in getting the impression that new player unveiling interviews are slightly less peppered with bullshit about ‘when I was growing up in the middle of nowhere with two channels on the telly I wanted to play for Wolves’ and ‘I have turned down so called bigger clubs to be spend a few seasons bumping around mid-table with pleasingly symmetrical season-end stats such as W14 D10 L14’? Lucas Digne tried to revive the practice recently of course, but apart from that lying b*st*rd I can’t think of many recent ones.”

Come back, Robbie Keane (though I’m sure he had more than two channels)! These days it’s true, a glowing assessment of the training facilities appears to cut the mustard.

“Any updates on Patrick Roberts?” asks James Maughan. “Leicester were linked with him for most of this summer but now they have signed Ghezzal, I wonder whether they still need him. I think he could make a difference to one of the mid-table sides.”

No, but it’s a good question – I think Celtic would happily take Roberts back for a third season, and understandably so, but either way he needs to find himself a home now. A superb talent and, you’re right, one who could do very well in the Premier League if fit and firing.

“As I sit at a different office, writing about earthquakes, Trump and the price of a pint. I was wondering what Football League transfers you were hoping to see,” queries first-time emailer Phil. “Will Gai Assulin finally get his move back to England? Who else will Ipswich buy from League One? Will Morecambe acquire a whole new squad?”

Funny you should ask, Phil, as Ipswich should tie up Shrewsbury’s Jon Nolan and Aristote Nsiala today, while Martyn Waghorn is almost certainly off to Derby or Middlesbrough. I’ll get back to you on Morecambe – but perhaps they saw something nobody else did in Assulin’s sole appearance for Kairat Almaty during the spring.

Updated

Centre-back seems to be a hot position at the moment, doesn’t it? There’s a lack of quality ones around and it is causing a bit of a scramble. Everton need one – they’d like Jamaal Lascelles and/or perhaps Yerry Mina. And what about cheery, chirpy Manchester United? They’ve been linked with Mina too but there’s more than a little bit of noise around Harry Maguire ...

As we go along, don’t forget to email or tweet me your thoughts, hopes, dreams, top tips, def info, anything – even some transfer-related stuff, too. The addresses are at the top of the page.

Updated

One that should go through soon is Wolves’ deal – understood to be a club record – for Middlesbrough’s quicksilver winger Adama Traore. He’ll be up there for a medical soon. Some excellent business being done at Molineux this summer.

An early snippet from Sky – Fulham are said to have agreed a season-long loan deal with Arsenal for Calum Chambers. There probably won’t be too many sleepless nights on Drayton Park about that one, and nor about the fact that West Ham are sniffing around the striker Lucas Perez.

Here we go again!

Welcome to this earlier-than-usual, slightly truncated extravaganza of pre-transfer deadline frenzy. Everyone in England has to get their business done by 5pm on Thursday – a new development this season – and it doesn’t take a genius to assess that there’ll be some thrills, spills and outright stupidity en route to that. We’ll see deals done, deals collapse, outrageous sums being splashed out ... because that’s what football does these day and, on a practical level, a glance around so many squads in the top two divisions shows them to be glaringly incomplete. It’s almost as if the World Cup only finished three weeks ago.

So let’s get on with it. First up – a taste of what we might expect today with a piping hot Rumour Mill from Simon Burnton:

Updated

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