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Chelsea in shock talks for former player to return after collapse of £34.5m transfer

Chelsea’s €40m transfer falls through after major problem finalising contract

Former Everton chief executive drops West Ham points deduction verdict after £110m signings

New Chelsea signing Pedro Neto shares the same agent as Felix and it almost appears more than a coincidence that he’s now discussing a possible return to Stamford Bridge for the 24-year-old.

The Blues are also looking at the possibility of signing Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and have held discussions over the possibility of the Nigerian being used as part of the deal that would see Romelu Lukaku head to Naples to reunite with Antonio Conte.

Lukaku has reportedly agreed a three year deal with the Italian side, whilst Chelsea are trying to sign Osimhen on loan with Napoli believed to prefer a permanent transfer.

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Chelsea’s €40m transfer falls through after major problem finalising contract

Charlie Patrick — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 21:54:45 +0000

Samu Omorodion’s move to Chelsea has fallen through after a major problem finalising the contract according to David Ornstein.

Chelsea had agreed a £34.5m fee with Atletico Madrid for the striker and the 20-year-old was expected to complete his move before the start of the season.

Omorodion, who was expected to sign a seven year contract with the Blues was part of the Spain squad which won Olympic gold after they beat hosts France in the 5-3.

Omorodion’s move to Chelsea has fallen through

The Blues have been in the market for a striker and despite signing teenager Marc Guiu from Barcelona they have been looking to add another goalscorer to their ranks, with Omorodion their chosen man.

Everything appeared to be agreed between clubs and player, but Ornstein has reported the deal is off after there was a major problem finalising the contract.

He took to X.com and said:

“Samu Omorodion transfer from Atletico Madrid to Chelsea has collapsed. Deal agreed club-to-club & between 20yo #Atletico striker + #CFC.

“But major problem finalising contract means deal off; Spain youth int’l not moving to Stamford Bridge @TheAthleticFC.”

? Samu Omorodion transfer from Atletico Madrid to Chelsea has collapsed. Deal agreed club-to-club & between 20yo #Atletico striker + #CFC. But major problem finalising contract means deal off; Spain youth int’l not moving to Stamford Bridge @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/zTcEl1Omll

— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) August 11, 2024

This news certainly represents a blow to Chelsea who have tracked the striker for the majority of the summer and clearly believe in his ability.

Omorodion joined Atletico last summer from Granada but spent the season on loan at Alaves where he scored nine goals in 36 appearances.

More Stories / Latest News

Chelsea in shock talks for former player to return after collapse of £34.5m transfer

Chelsea’s €40m transfer falls through after major problem finalising contract

Former Everton chief executive drops West Ham points deduction verdict after £110m signings

He’s yet to kick a ball for Atletico, but is regarded as one of the most promising young strikers in Europe, although he’s still vey raw and needs a lot of refining.

Chelsea could now turn their turn their full attention to Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, with the Blues in talks with their Italian counterparts over the possibility of the Nigerian being part of the deal which would see Romelu Lukaku head to Naples.

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Wolves preparing to offload one of their most expensive all-time transfers

CJ — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 15:48:40 +0000

Wolves are ready to sell Portuguese forward Fabio Silva this summer, with clubs from Spain, Germany and Italy reportedly interested.

Silva joined Wolves from Porto in 2020 as an 18-year-old for what was at the time a club record £35.6m fee (per BBC Sport).

However, Silva has failed to adjust to English football, notching just five goals and six assists in 72 appearances for Wolves across all competitions. Instead, the Portugal youth international has enjoyed more success out on loan at the likes of Anderlecht, PSV and, most recently, Rangers.

Wolves have already strengthened their striker options this summer with the signing of Jorgen Strand Larsen on loan from Celta Vigo, while Matheus Cunha and Hwang Hee-chan both enjoyed strong 2023/24 campaigns with 12 Premier League goals each.

Now, according to Fussball Transfers (via Get Football News Germany), Bundesliga side Wolfsburg are interested in Silva and are considering a bid this summer after monitoring him since January.

Fabio Silva of Rangers celebrates after he scores his team’s opening goal during the Cinch Scottish Premiership match between Rangers and Kilmarnock at Ibrox Stadium on May 05, 2024 in Glasgow, Scotland.

Alongside Wolfsburg, La Liga sides Valencia and Espanyol are named as admirers of Silva, as are Genoa of Serie A.

Wolves are through to be realistic about how much they can recoup from their initial outlay for SIlva and may accept half (£17.8m) of what they paid for him four years ago.

The rumours regarding Silva’s future at Molineux come off the back of fellow Portuguese forward Pedro Neto completing a lucrative move to Chelsea, while Max Kilman also left to join West Ham earlier this summer.

Wolves begin their 2024/25 Premier League campaign away at Arsenal on Saturday.

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Transfer news: ‘Here we go’ for Man Utd deals, two Chelsea signings imminent, Liverpool update & more

Fabrizio Romano — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 15:45:00 +0000

This article was originally published on Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Fabrizio Romano’s exclusive transfer news via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service here: thedailybriefing.io

‘Here we go’ x3 for Manchester United, plus update on midfielder search

Aaron Wan-Bissaka to West Ham is a ‘here we go’ and it’s a crucial story because, as I reported previously, Manchester United were waiting for Wan-Bissaka to leave in order to be able to bring in a new right-back and also a new centre-back.

Now it’s happening, with Wan-Bissaka joining West Ham in a permanent transfer, and it’s an important sale as United could have lost him on a free when his contract would have expired next summer. Inter were also interested in the 26-year-old, though it would have been in a year’s time as a free agent, not in a swap deal this summer. Still, Wan-Bissaka decided to accept the offer from West Ham for a five-year contract, and he’ll have his medical tests with the Hammers this morning.

So, everything is done for Wan-Bissaka to move from Man United to West Ham for £15m – this is the value of the deal, and West Ham are truly on fire at the moment with a big summer that has seen them appoint Julen Lopetegui as their new manager whilst also completing deals like Wan-Bissaka, and also Jean-Clair Todibo, Max Kilman, Guido Rodriguez, Crysencio Summerville and others.

As I previously reported, United want to attack the market and now we can say that it’s ‘here we go’ for Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui to move to Old Trafford. The deal is done with Bayern, and we have to congratulate United because the deal has been completed as they wanted – the timing was longer than expected, but it was worth it for United.

It was not always easy negotiating with Bayern, who for months insisted on guaranteed money, not add-ons, but United always wanted to get the deals done with add-ons. Now we can say that De Ligt will be joining the Red Devils for €45m plus €5m in add-ons. Bayern sources say these add-ons will be quite easy to reach, but it’s still structured quite favourably for United, and for Mazraoui it’s also €15m plus €5m in add-ons.

Now both players will travel to join United and both are set to sign five-year deals. In the case of De Ligt, this agreement was actually reached with his agent Rafaela Pimenta back in June, so he’s been waiting and waiting for United and was never negotiating with any other club. Mazraoui has also been waiting patiently since July, with United at times considering other right-back options like Vanderson and Denzel Dumfries. Still, Mazraoui looks a good option as he knows Erik ten Hag well from their time at Ajax, and he can fill in at left-back as well as on the right-hand side.

So, this is the double deal between Bayern and United, and now Bayern are expected to sign one more centre-back. Jonathan Tah’s agent is still working on the deal for him to move to the Allianz Arena so let’s wait for developments there, but he’s expected to be the new centre-back for the Bavarian giants.

Matthijs De Ligt is on his way to Manchester United

United also remain busy in the search for a new midfielder – they spoke with the agents of Sander Berge and have considered other options, but their top target remains Manuel Ugarte. PSG will have to drop their price as United will not pay crazy money, otherwise they could also sell one player in that position, it could be Scott McTominay or Casemiro, we will see, but they will likely need a sale in order to finance the deal.

Still, United could also go for a cheaper midfielder, so Berge could be one to watch after contacts with his agent, while Sofyan Amrabat remains a player on their list even after they initially decided not to sign him permanently from Fiorentina after last season’s loan came to an end. Amrabat remains appreciated by Ten Hag, so there are some Plan B options behind Ugarte, but let’s wait and see what happens with PSG on that one.

Two new signings close for Chelsea, but “impossible” for this Blues star to stay

Samu Omorodion is in London and ready to sign his seven-year deal with Chelsea, while Pedro Neto is also close to completing the formalities of his move as the Blues plan to unveil him in front of their fans at Stamford Bridge today.

Still, we also know that there are a few Chelsea players now out of the project – Romelu Lukaku, who has a three-year deal in place with Napoli, but also Kepa Arrizabalaga who is still dreaming of Real Madrid.

As well as that, Armando Broja is no longer training with the first-team, and it’s the same with Trevoh Chalobah. Both players are on the market, with Chalobah’s asking price at around £30m. It’s also important to say that David Datro Fofana is another player who could leave Chelsea on a permanent transfer, or on loan with an obligation.

Lukaku will not stay at Chelsea. Impossible. I keep saying it’s Napoli for Lukaku, regardless of the Osimhen story. Conte wants him, he wants to work with Conte, a three-year deal is ready and Napoli can accelerate soon. I don’t see any other option. Nothing is happening with Osimhen this week, there are no updates, but it’s not that strongly linked to Lukaku, and in any case the plan remains for the Nigerian striker to leave Napoli. Chelsea are still waiting, but for Osimhen we have to be patient because he is still not accepting a loan move, which is the only option at the moment for Chelsea, and also because Osimhen will not reduce his salary.

So, the conditions of the deal will have to change, or else other things could happen with the Osimhen story in the final few weeks of this summer’s transfer market.

There has been speculation about other potential Chelsea exits as well, with Carney Chukwuemeka linked with Barcelona. Still, my understanding is that there is nothing concrete so far. Chelsea have not received any bid for Chukwuemeka and the situation is currently quiet. Then in the next days we will see… but at the moment there has been no offer made to Chelsea from Barca.

Chelsea have also not received proposals from Juventus for Raheem Sterling so far, and Sterling has received no contact from Italy yet, despite rumours. What I’m told is that Juventus are working on the Nico Gonzalez deal with Fiorentina as their priority for the new winger.

Three Liverpool transfer updates

Liverpool are still working to convince Martin Zubimendi to join the club and are waiting for his final decision. Just a reminder that other clubs such as Arsenal have also been interested in the Real Sociedad midfielder in recent times but were unable to persuade him to move, though there were no negotiations from the Gunners for him this summer.

Elsewhere with Liverpool, Fabio Carvalho is closing in on completing his move to Brentford. It’s a permanent deal worth £20m plus add-ons. However, there is no news at all on Virgil van Dijk, despite some stories at various points this summer.

It’s currently very quiet as Liverpool are counting on Van Dijk and there are no significant updates so far. In my opinion, he should stay and continue as he’s a key player for Liverpool and new manager Arne Slot will need him and the quality and experience he brings.

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Chelsea in shock talks for former player to return after collapse of £34.5m transfer

Chelsea’s €40m transfer falls through after major problem finalising contract

Former Everton chief executive drops West Ham points deduction verdict after £110m signings

In other news…

Jadon Sancho – There’s still no major update on Jadon Sancho’s future, but he remains one of the cases of this market. PSG have been making contact with Sancho’s agents, but there’s no bid yet, and he’s back in the Man United squad so let’s see what they will decide to do.

Marc Guehi – Newcastle are still there, yes. It’s not over yet. They want to try again but Crystal Palace insist on £65m fee. There are currently no other clubs involved, but Newcastle have not completed the deal yet so it’s one to follow in the next days.

Vladimir Coufal – There has been talk of West Ham sales, and it is the case that Coufal could leave and also some players upfront, but for now I can guarantee that focus remains on completing signings. The Wan-Bissaka deal is being sealed, then West Ham will discuss outgoings in the final three weeks, with nothing imminent yet.

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Crystal Palace willing to spend big to beat Barcelona to Chelsea star

CJ — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 14:45:59 +0000

Crystal Palace are lining up a bid to sign midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka from Chelsea this summer, according to reports.

Chukwuemeka is a product of the Aston Villa youth system and made 16 senior appearances for the club between May 2021 and July 2022.

The midfielder then signed for Chelsea, where he’s played 27 times across all competitions during the past two seasons, scoring twice but never truly establishing himself as a first-team regular.

Still only 20 years old, Chukwuemeka is a player with considerable talent and has 25 caps to his name across various youth levels for England, who he helped win the 2022 U19 Euros — being named in the Team of the Tournament along the way.

In fact, with Chelsea looking to thin their squad after another busy summer of spending, Spanish giants Barcelona have been heavily linked with his signature — although Fabrizio Romano has cooled speculation slightly.

“There has been speculation about other potential Chelsea exits as well, with Carney Chukwuemeka linked with Barcelona,” Romano told CaughtOffside.

“Still, my understanding is that there is nothing concrete so far. Chelsea have not received any bid for Chukwuemeka and the situation is currently quiet. Then in the next days, we will see… but at the moment there has been no offer made to Chelsea from Barca.”

Carney Chukwuemeka of Chelsea arrives at the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and AFC Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on May 19, 2024 in London, England.

Crystal Palace lining up Chukwuemeka bid

According to The Sun (via The Chelsea Chronicle), Crystal Palace are also lining up a bid for Chukwuemeka.

The report states that the Eagles are ‘willing to spend big’ on the youngster, who is keen to leave Stamford Bridge in search of first-team football, with new manager Enzo Maresca seemingly preferring other options.

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Video: Liverpool fans won’t believe what Diogo Jota did in pre-season clash

Darren Looney — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 12:21:33 +0000

Liverpool are in pre-season action against Sevilla on Sunday afternoon at Anfield and the deadlock has been broken courtesy of sensational Diogo Jota goal.

The Reds open their Premier League campaign against Ipswich Town on Saturday and the team that has started the match against La Liga side are likely to line up at Portman Road next week.

Jota is almost certain to start the clash up front as the Portuguese star has worked with Slot the most during pre-season and has played the most minutes out of the Reds’ major forward stars. The 27-year-old made his claim for the starting spot stronger on Sunday scoring a sensational goal at Anfield.

The Portugal international met a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross with a beautiful left-foot volley which got the fans in the stadium off of their feet.

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Chelsea’s €40m transfer falls through after major problem finalising contract

Former Everton chief executive drops West Ham points deduction verdict after £110m signings

Watch: Liverpool’s Diogo Jota scores incredible volley vs Sevilla

Jota on the volley ??? pic.twitter.com/rrUfBDxhVj

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 11, 2024

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Newcastle looking to bring 27-year-old attacker back to England

Saikat Chatterjee — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 11:57:38 +0000

Newcastle United are keen on bringing Barcelona star Raphinha back to the Premier League before the end of the window.

Eddie Howe wants to reinforce his attack before the end of the transfer deadline. The Newcastle manager seeks more depth out wide on the flanks and according to a report from Football Insider, the Magpies would love to add former Leeds United winger Raphinha to their squad.

On the back of his impressive rise at the English club, Barcelona forked out a significant fee to sign him in the summer of 2022. The Brazilian international has been a consistent performer for them. Despite his performances and the fact that he still has three years left on his deal, the 27-year-old forward’s future has been uncertain for a while now.

There was a significant amount of interest in his services from the Middle East. Multiple Saudi Arabian clubs wanted to sign him and they even submitted offers. But, he has rejected those opportunities to continue at the Catalan club.

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Chelsea in shock talks for former player to return after collapse of £34.5m transfer

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Former Everton chief executive drops West Ham points deduction verdict after £110m signings

Raphinha in action for Barcelona

Will Raphinha return to England?

While Raphinha is determined to stay at Barcelona and fight for his place in the starting XI following the rise of Lamine Yamal, Newcastle United are planning to make a move for his services. The Magpies want more quality on the flanks and Howe feels the Brazilian forward could be an ideal addition as he can feature on either flank. But, Barcelona’s asking price could be a major problem for the English outfit.

The Catalan giants will demand a significant fee to offload him and they are in the driving seat with three years left on his deal. The Magpies are aware of how difficult it could be to prise the 27-year-old away from Barcelona. As a result, they have been looking at alternative options who could help their cause.

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Video: New Liverpool boss Arne Slot smiles while hearing YNWA for the first time

Darren Looney — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 11:53:32 +0000

Liverpool are in pre-season action on Sunday afternoon against Sevilla as the Reds look to put a bow on a positive summer for Arne Slot’s men.

The Merseyside club travelled to the United States over recent weeks and came away from America with three wins over Real Betis, Arsenal and Man United; while Slot also gained a better understanding of his squad.

Liverpool open up their Premier League campaign against Ipswich Town on Saturday and the team that is likely to start that match are in action against Sevilla at Anfield on Sunday.

Before the game, Slot heard the Merseyside club’s anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone for the first time and the Dutch coach couldn’t help himself producing a little smile.

Arne Slot is ready for the new season with Liverpool

More Stories / Latest News

Chelsea in shock talks for former player to return after collapse of £34.5m transfer

Chelsea’s €40m transfer falls through after major problem finalising contract

Former Everton chief executive drops West Ham points deduction verdict after £110m signings

Watch: Arne Slot smiles while hearing YNWA for the first time at Anfield

YNWA ? pic.twitter.com/1DnDCEQAoJ

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 11, 2024

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Arsenal ready to pounce for potential £94m transfer as star faces uncertain future

Mark Brus — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 11:48:04 +0000

Arsenal are reportedly on alert for a potential transfer move for Real Madrid forward Rodrygo Goes, whose future at the Bernabeu is now in doubt due to the arrival of Kylian Mbappe this summer.

The Brazil international has shone during his time with Los Blancos, though it could now be that much harder for him to play regularly as both Mbappe and Endrick will now be competing for a place in Carlo Ancelotti’s front three as well.

Rodrygo has been valued at around €110m (£94m) by Transfermarkt, while Arsenal’s interest has been reported by Spanish outlet Cadena SER.

The Gunners need a new striker as an upgrade on the unconvincing and injury-prone Gabriel Jesus, while Eddie Nketiah looks increasingly likely to leave the Emirates Stadium for a move to Marseille.

Rodrygo transfer looks like just what Arsenal need

Rodrygo won the Champions League with Real Madrid last season

Arsenal came so close to winning the Premier League title last season, and arguably the only thing missing from Mikel Arteta’s side is an out-and-out goal-scorer who can contribute 20-25 goals a season.

Rodrygo looks like he could be that kind of player for AFC, giving them more of a natural goal threat in the box than they’ve had from Jesus and other players who’ve had runs playing up front, such as Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard.

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Chelsea in shock talks for former player to return after collapse of £34.5m transfer

Chelsea’s €40m transfer falls through after major problem finalising contract

Former Everton chief executive drops West Ham points deduction verdict after £110m signings

It surely won’t be cheap for Arsenal to sign a big name like Rodrygo, but it could be a worthwhile investment for the 23-year-old, who already has great experience of winning major trophies for one so young.

Rodrygo could improve even further under the expert guidance of Arteta, who has worked wonders with another former Real Madrid player in Martin Odegaard, with the Norway international notably another who found himself on the fringes of the first-team with the Spanish giants before really launching his career in north London.

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Man United learn asking price for 27-year-old midfield target

Saikat Chatterjee — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 11:30:56 +0000

Barcelona want in excess of €60 million for their midfield mainstay Frenkie de Jong amidst interest from Manchester United.

The Catalan giants finally managed to get the deal for Dani Olmo over the line. While they might have successfully signed the RB Leipzig star, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done before the end of the transfer window. But, their financial situation could be a major hurdle and according to Fichajes, they are ready to cash in on Frenkie de Jong for over €60 million amidst interest from Manchester United to make things easier.

De Jong has been a consistent performer for the Spanish giants since joining them in 2019 from Ajax. While the 27-year-old midfielder has been one of their mainstays, he has struggled because of injuries in recent seasons. With just two years left on his deal at the club, the Catalan giants are considering offloading him. His departure could be a major boost for them as it will help them balance their books and allow them to make more additions to their squad before the end of the window.

Since the Dutch international is the highest-paid player in the Spanish club, his departure will free up a lot of space on their wage bill. With Barcelona ready to sell, Manchester United have once again emerged as a potential destination. The Red Devils wanted to sign him in 2022 when Erik ten Hag had just taken over as their manager.

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Chelsea in shock talks for former player to return after collapse of £34.5m transfer

Chelsea’s €40m transfer falls through after major problem finalising contract