That concludes the blog for today. Back tomorrow and through until the bitter end of the summer transfer window.
The latest on Cucurella. Seems like he’s the No 1 target. Wonders never cease and desperation can take hold.
Manchester United will not advance on any other left back until they’re in talks for Marc Cucurella. Club confident to reach agreement with Chelsea 🔴🇪🇸
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 29, 2023
Loan fee offered in excess of £2m not enough yet but United will insist in the next hours. pic.twitter.com/GgCZUTtw2p
Rennes have made a bid for Davinson Sanchez of around £7m and it wasn’t taken up. Sanchez may well be staying to play for Ange Postecoglou, the third straight manager who looked to be selling him and then decided to keep him. Eric Dier beginning to look like the prime candidate to be sold on. At least Sanchez has played some football this season, having played as a sub at Brentford.
Reports from Germany suggest that PSG have made another swoop for Randal Kolo Muani, but that Eintracht Frankfurt have turned down a bid of €80m for the French striker. The deal included previous wunderkind Hugo Ekitike.
Latest on Eintracht Frankfurt x PSG talks:
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) August 29, 2023
🔵 Frankfurt reject PSG bid for Randal Kolo Muani worth €70m + bonuses
⚫️ Frankfurt seek €100m package
🔴 PSG offer €65m + Hugo Ekitike, no response yet
⚪️ Ekitike rejects 2 contract offers from Frankfurt, talks still on
(RMC/L'Éq) pic.twitter.com/Aa4KN7vb8W
Looks like this move is the likeliest in Manchester United’s search for a left-back. He’s a player with an awful lot to prove.
Negotiations continue between Man United and Chelsea for Marc Cucurella. More to follow. 🚨🔴 #MUFC https://t.co/UL3b4P16Rg
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 29, 2023
Patrick Crumlish gets in touch: “Unbelievably stingy decision by Chelsea, and terrible PR also. To say with a straight face that it is for financial reasons after all the money spent on transfers this window alone. Gaslighting of the highest order, really.”
Sheffield United have shipped plenty out, and brought a few in but that won’t be the end of their business. Or at least, that’s what Paul Heckingbottom hopes. He spoke to PA Media.
I want as many as possible. Me and (club owner) Prince Abdullah speak all the time and he would want as many as possible. There is only so much in terms of resources. We are going to work as hard as we can to end the window as strong as we possibly can. How many do we want? As many as possible and I may have to leave people out of the 25 as well. Realistically, we know how tough it is to get players in. That’s going to be our focus over the next few days.
Heckingbottom remains hopeful Manchester City midfielder James McAtee will return on loan to Bramall Lane.
Hugh Molloy gets in touch: “Weather is a massive issue for Saudi football. I played last night in Doha (Same deal) at night and it was a ‘feels like’ 46defC and totally unsuitable for professional football (bearable for us cloggers!). The weather will only really work from November to March... However, the timings will be good as 8pm in the UK is 10/11pm at the night, as the World Cup proved. “
Yes, I was chatting to a colleague from Singapore who is well used to heat and he attended the first week of the Pro League season. He said he had to go indoors during the match. And as for poor Jordan Henderson…
Updated
The latest from Manchester United’s search for a left-back.
Pochettino on Cucurella being linked with #mufc: "I cannot talk about rumours. At the moment, nothing changed. He is for tomorrow going to be available to play."
— James Olley (@JamesOlley) August 29, 2023
All those transfer fees have to be financed somehow – bad move by Chelsea here….
Here’s Andy Hunter’s story on Everton signing Beto from Udinese. A striker at long last.
Latest from Fabrizio. Looks like this one’s going nowhere. Chelsea need to offload a few so it’s likely this one will be revisited, Bayern or not.
Told stories about Trevoh Chalobah now undergoing medical tests at Bayern are wide of mark. No medical in London or Munich as of now. 🔴❌
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 29, 2023
Negotiations between Bayern & Chelsea took place — #CFC insist on permanent deal or no way.
In any case, Pavard will 100% join Inter. pic.twitter.com/DguhVqvUtj
Updated
Guess who’s back? John Brewin’s back, and will talk you through the rest of the afternoon’s substance and fluff. Catch you’se later.
Leeds are close to securing a season-long loan spell for Tottenham’s Djed Spence, according to the Athletic’s Phil Hay. Spence has excelled in the Championship before, for Middlesbrough two seasons ago, so this could be a handy acquisition for Daniel Farke.
Much talk that Jesse Lingard is about to become a happy Hammer again, the London Stadium having probably seen better of him than anywere else in the past four or five years. Reports suggest he will be joining David Moyes’s side on a free after an unfruitful period at Nottingham Forest ended in the summer.
More churn at Bayern Munich, with Benjamin Pavard expected to arrive in Milan later today to sort out a move to Internazionale. Fabrizio Romano reports the fee will be in the region of €30m, with €2m inn add-ons.
Everton sign Beto from Udinese
That threadbare Goodison front line sees overdue fortification in the form of the Portuguese striker Beto, who has arrived from Udinese for a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee.
The 6ft 4in forward is plugged on the Everton website as “a powerful, hard-working forward boasting a quick burst of pace, aerial ability and with excellent hold-up play”, and as someone who supported the club as a boy after his hero Samuel Eto’o played at Goodison.
He was Udinese’s top scorer last season and in total scored 25 times in 61 games for the Serie A club.
Updated
Fulham have already been busy today and there may yet be more to come, with the Sevilla outlet La Colina de Nervión suggesting the west London club have an agreement in place to sign the winger Lucas Ocampos. The Argentina winger could further strengthen a right-side fortified by Timothy Castagne’s arrival
Mauricio Pochettino has been up before the media, ostensibly to talk about Chelsea’s League Cup tie with AFC Wimbledon (a handy pay day for the in-form League Two club) tomorrow but in reality to be bombarded with transfer questions, to which he responds in largely non-commital fashion. The Chelsea manager offers a tentative “maybe yes” to the question of whether more acquisitions will come this week. “I know the club is working very hard to finish our business,” he says. As for possible outgoing such as Marc Cucurella and Callum Hudson-Odoi, “decisions will be made before this Saturday”.
Thanks John, and yet more Manchester United news from our very own Mr Transfers, this time concerning their goalkeeping situation:
Manchester United now consider Altay Bayindir deal from Fenerbahçe ‘on track’ — working on final details and then it’ll be confirmed. 🚨🔴🇹🇷 #MUFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 29, 2023
Official statement not expected today as there’s still some work to do but €7m deal underway. Player in UK since Friday. pic.twitter.com/EeOJQ3iyzu
Updated
Tom Davies will take the reins for a while. Inundate him.
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Transfer window on this day, per PA Media.
Manchester City signed Belgium international Kevin De Bruyne from Wolfsburg, on this day in 2015. City paid a then club-record fee, reported to be in the region of £54million, for a man who has been at the heart of what they have achieved since.
The 24-year-old, who arrived in the Premier League as Germany’s footballer of the year, signed an initial six-year contract to launch the latest, spectacularly-successful phase of his career.
Feels safe to say this one was a success.
Charles Antaki gets in touch: “Many thanks for the sight of Kane in lederhosen - shame we can’t see the leather braces. How long before he takes up this kind of Bavarian pop music?”
This is what the world is now waiting for.
Talking of clubs who need a striker, we await the completion of this deal and wonder whether Che Adams comes in from Southampton, too. He was omitted on Saturday when Saints played QPR ahead of a transfer but Everton are not exactly blessed with funds.
Beto completed medical tests and he’s set to be unveiled as new Everton player after €30m deal agreed 🔵🇵🇹 #EFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 28, 2023
Talking of summer’s biggest transfers; here’s the pics you have all been waiting for.
Yes, Harry Kane in lederhosen.
Updated
Harry Maguire staying at Manchester United
Per Jamie Jackson:
With Ten Hag needing to find a replacement should Maguire leave in the final few days of the window, time is increasingly against him doing so, and especially so to West Ham following their £19m purchase of the Greek central defender Konstantinos Mavropanos from Stuttgart last week.
Maguire stays “barring a late change of mind by the Old Trafford hierarchy”.
A further name to add into that United left-back chase is Brentford’s Rico Henry, outstanding so far this season and in line for an England call now that Luke Shaw is injured. That’s according to the Daily Mail’s Adrian Kajumba.
Updated
Random rumour of the day.
Understand Liverpool have been in contact with Arthur Theate’s representatives regarding a potential move this week. 🚨🇧🇪 pic.twitter.com/HZpkCibbhJ
— François Plateau (@francoisplateau) August 29, 2023
According to our friends from Get French Football News:
Liverpool centre-back Joël Matip (32) is part of Stade Rennais’ shortlist to bolster their defensive options in the event that Arthur Theate leaves the Roazhon Park, according to a report this Sunday by L’Équipe.
Liverpool fans will hope he’s more successful than their last Arthur, who played just 13 minutes for them. He’s completed two full matches for Fiorentina already and played 72 minutes at the weekend in a 2-2 draw with Lecce.
Updated
Some interesting figures from City AM’s Frank Dallares.
Premier League net spend is actually down this summer, despite record gross outlay, thanks in part to ~£260m in fees from Saudi clubs, who have also freed up £££ in PL wages by signing high-paid players on free transfers https://t.co/PnhpjvxpeQ
— Frank Dalleres (@frankdalleres) August 29, 2023
For those asking how close Saudi Pro League is to matching this:
— Frank Dalleres (@frankdalleres) August 29, 2023
Gross spend
🏴 £2bn 🇸🇦 £725m
Net spend
🏴 £965m 🇸🇦 £702m https://t.co/1Wtas7yr9q
Chelsea watch: here’s the list of players they’ve been linked with today:
Emile Smith Rowe
Raphinha
Ferran Torres
Rayan Cherki
More to follow, undoubtedly.
Brennan Johnson latest: seems Spurs are the remaining club in the market but will have to pay over £50m. Nottingham Forest have been quiet in the window but that will be due to them being over-active in the previous two.
Brentford have currently left conversations for Brennan Johnson focusing on different targets, Tottenham are prepared to insist in talks with Forest ⚪️✨ #THFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 29, 2023
Spurs already held positive talks on player side and now discussions waking place on clubs side. pic.twitter.com/R2BkOTZKES
A line from several outlets is that Manchester United, having sold Fred and in looking to ship out Scott McTominay, would like to sign Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who has not found much of a role within Ange-ball at Tottenham. They’re still also on the hunt for left-backs, as we reported this weekend.
We await the latest developments here. Nunes was sent off in his last appearance, and scored just two goals last season for Wolves. Still, Pep usually knows best.
Lukaku and Mourinho reunited: what could possibly go wrong?
The pair did get on fine at Manchester United, pretty much, it’s just that the team didn’t do so well after a while.
Rob Smyth runs through today’s rumours. Chelsea linked with attacking player shocker.
Timothy Castagne joins Fulham from Leicester
This seems like a decent signing for Fulham. Though Castagne is a full-back in a position where Fulham have strength in depth in Kenny Tete and Antonee Robinson. Perhaps the Belgian might play further forward. Fulham still looking for a striker.
Castagne announced. 🇧🇪 pic.twitter.com/orMuH9uXHl
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) August 29, 2023
Updated
Preamble
All steam ahead for Friday night and transfer deadline day. Through the week we’ll be bringing the latest news, rumours and reaction as the European – if not the Saudi Arabian – window slams shut. With most of the bigger – and smaller – clubs seeking to do business expect to hear plenty about bids being prepared and FFP limits. Join us.
