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.

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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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.

The post Transfer news: ‘Here we go’ for Man Utd deals, two Chelsea signings imminent, Liverpool update & more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester City won the Community Shield for the first time since 2019 with a 7-6 penalty shootout win over Manchester United following a 1-1 draw at Wembley on Sunday. 

Following a slow-burn first half and a host of missed chances after the break — including a big one from Marcus Rashford — substitute Alejandro Garnacho gave United the lead in the 82nd minute following a driving run at the heart of the City defence.

However, that lead would last just seven minutes as fellow sub Bernardo Silva headed home City’s equaliser at the far post to force a shootout.

Bernardo missed City’s first spot-kick, but Pep Guardiola’s men remained perfect from there, with Jadon Sancho and Jonny Evans missing for United.

City have now ended a run of three straight defeats in the Community Shield, while United remain the only side to lose four in a row (1998-2001).

Here are the full player ratings as Manchester City lifted yet another trophy.

Man City vs Man Utd player ratings — Community Shield

Man City (4-3-3)

Ederson – 7/10 – Could do nothing about Garnacho’s goal, wasn’t really tested otherwise. Sent Onana the wrong way in the shootout after denying Sancho.

Rico Lewis – 7/10 – Search ‘Rico Lewis’ on X and you’ll see a lot of divided opinion on his performance here. For the record, he was pretty solid.

Manuel Akanji – 6/10 – Desperately tried to block Garnacho’s shot for the goal but couldn’t make up the ground in time. The goal definitely wasn’t his fault, though. Gained some redemption for his penalty shootout miss against England at Euro 2024 by scoring the winning effort here.

Ruben Dias – 5/10 – Didn’t cover himself in glory on the goal, allowing Garncho to go by him and cause a terrible mix-up with Gvardiol. An excellent penalty in the shootout, however.

Josko Gvardiol – 4/10 – As above.

Mateo Kovacic – 8/10 – Probably Man City’s best player. Moved the ball quickly and tried to drive through the lines, while always looking alert to loose balls. Needed Rodri next to him, in all honesty.

Nico O’Reilly – 6/10 – Didn’t quite get into the game as much as he’d have liked, but O’Reilly will be happy with what was a solid debut.

James McAtee – 8/10 – Misplaced just one of his 30 attempted passes and almost got on the scoresheet, but was desperately unlucky to see his curling effort hit the post.

Oscar Bobb – 8/10 – Direct and electric, always looking to make something happen. Final ball was sometimes dreadful but he got it right to set up Bernardo’s equaliser.

Erling Haaland – 3/10 – No shots, no chances created, no impact. At least he scored in the shootout.

Jeremy Doku – 7/10 – Looked lively with his pace, especially in the first half. Lacking a little with his final ball.

Substitutes

Matheus Nunes (63′, for O’Reilly) – 5/10 – Didn’t get going in the final third and picked up a yellow card. Emphatic with his penalty, which even drew a visible reaction from Guardiola.

Pep Guardiola when he saw that Matheus Nunes penalty pic.twitter.com/pq1zWJVxKL

— CoffeeJezus (@CoffeeJezus) August 10, 2024

Savio (63′, for Doku) – 7/10 – Involved in the build-up to Bernardo’s equaliser and gave City fans promising glimpses on his debut. Sent Onana the wrong way with his penalty.

Bernardo Silva (80′, for McAtee) – 8/10 – With five touches of the ball, birthday boy Bernardo Silva managed to level the match with a header and complete 100% of his passes. Couldn’t follow that up in the shootout, missing City’s first penalty with a tame effort.

Kevin De Bruyne (90′, for Bobb) – 6/10 – Didn’t have time to get involved in normal time, but sent Onana the wrong way in the shootout.

Nathan Ake (90′, for Gvardiol) – N/A – No time to get into the game.

Man Utd (4-2-3-1)

Andre Onana – 5/10 – Had precious little to do until Bernardo’s goal in the final moments, which Onana could do nothing about. Denied Bernardo in the shootout but perhaps focused a little too much on his antics than keeping Man City players out for the rest of the contest.

Diogo Dalot – 8/10 – Put in a huge shift defensively and always looked to push forward in support of the attack. Just about squeezed his penalty beyond Ederson.

Harry Maguire – 7/10 – Clean with the ball and looked solid defensively. Only a couple of difficult moments and hopefully a sign of things to come this season.

Jonny Evans – 7/10 – Made it through the full 90 minutes and proved he can once again be a steady option for Ten Hag when required. Well, that’s as long as they don’t let him take any more penalties. A truly dreadful effort.

Lisandro Martinez – 7/10 – An old-fashioned full-back performance from a player out of position but kept things tight with three tackles, two clearances and 100% success on ground duels. Scored his penalty in style.

Casemiro – 8/10 – Looked like a completely different player to last season after what must have been one hell of a summer break. Made a match-high seven tackles, while also making eight recoveries and seven passes into the final third. At the heart of much of United’s best play. Cold as ice with his penalty.

Kobbie Mainoo – 7/10 – Tidy with the ball and worked hard without it, but his Euro 2024 exertions quickly caught up with him after half-time.

Amad Diallo – 6/10 – Lively around the box but his decision-making let him down. Could have scored in the first half but instead tried squaring it to Mount.

Mason Mount – 6/10 – Showed a few flashes of quality in tight spaces but still some way off being fully sharp.

Marcus Rashford – 5/10 – Missed a glorious chance in the second half, scuffing a left-footed effort inside the box onto the post.

Bruno Fernandes – 8/10 – Had a beautiful goal disallowed for offside before going on to provide the assist for Garnacho’s goal. Carved the Man City defence open a few times with his precision passing. Scored in the shootout.

Substitutes 

Scott McTominay (59′, for Mount) – 4/10 – Missed a massive chance to kill the game late on but went with his right foot when the left-footed shot was the easier option. Barely touched the ball otherwise. Good penalty in the shootout.

Alejandro Garnacho (59′, for Diallo) – 9/10 – Like Bernardo for City, Garnacho completely changed the game from the bench and deserved his goal. Made no mistake in the shootout.

Toby Collyer (59′, for Mainoo) – 6/10 – A clean and composed debut.

Facundo Pellistri (59′, for Maguire) – 2/10 – Fell asleep at the far post to allow Bernardo his header for the equaliser.

Jadon Sancho (83′, for Rashford) – 3/10 – Didn’t get into the game and was denied by Ederson in the shootout.

The post Man City 1-1 Man Utd player ratings: Akanji redemption as Red Devils keep unwanted Community Shield record appeared first on CaughtOffside.

This summer’s transfer window has been a hugely one for Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Erik ten Hag and Man United.

It was, in practice, the first where the INEOS owner could really set his stall out as to what kind of investment he was willing to make in terms of player purchases.

Thus far, the club have landed the brilliant Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee for ten Hag, with Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui expected to follow before the deadline.

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There may well be other deals in the pipeline though even if it remains at just four, they are all players which can improve United in various areas of the team.

Outgoings this summer are just as important too, particularly when it relates to players that don’t appear to have the club’s best interests at heart.

Man United in talks with PSG over Sancho

Jadon Sancho has seemingly returned to the club with his tail between his legs, and to his credit it also looks as if ten Hag has appeared to bury the hatchet with a player who significantly undermined his authority last season.

According to Football Transfers, Paris Saint Germain have been in direct contact with the Red Devils regarding a potential move for the England ace, albeit there are question marks over whether Luis Enrique would tolerate a player with the lack of application that Sancho appears to possess at times.

After ridding themselves of Mason Greenwood, a transfer out of another potential trouble maker would almost certainly make life easier for ten Hag.

The associated dressing room equilibrium that would arguably follow a transfer for Sancho is also a positive aspect that the club need to consider.

With three weeks left until the window closes, there’s plenty of time for the deal to get over the line.

The post Man United in direct talks for important transfer of highly-rated England international appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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

—

West Ham will only move for Trippier if Wan-Bissaka deal breaks down

Talks with Aaron Wan-Bissaka continue for West Ham and he remains their priority for the right-back position, although it is a complicated deal to get over the line.

Despite the rumours, I’m not aware of talks for Arnau Martinez, and Kieran Trippier will only be an option if the Wan Bissaka deal falls through.

There’s no imminent move for Vladimir Coufal either from what I heard.

Chalobah will take his time and choose the best option

On Trevoh Chalobah’s situation, Crystal Palace are interested but it’s the same with clubs from abroad.

Chalobah will take his time to decide what will be the best opportunity for him.

What I’m told too is that Crystal Palace also have Lacroix on their shortlist, a player that’s really appreciated by Glasner.

So, a decision will be made once Marc Guehi’s future is clarified as talks with Newcastle are still ongoing, not done yet.

De Gea has a verbal agreement with Fiorentina

The former Manchester United goalkeeper, finally back after more than almost 13/14 months with no activity on the pitch, is gonna play in Serie A.

Let’s wait for the signature because we know that with agents it’s always kind of dangerous on the market, but the verbal agreement is in place.

David said yes to Fiorentina. One year contract plus one year option, €2m net salary plus €1m in add-ons.

Good luck to David, after a long time out of the game for him.

Arsenal continue working on Nketiah and Merino deals

I also wanted to mention what’s going on at Arsenal, because we know that they are busy with the situation of Eddie Nketiah after selling Emile Smith Rowe to Fulham.

It was kind of a tense situation with Marseille because they had an agreement with the player. Nketiah wants to go to Marseille, he’s open to joining and attracted by the project.

But the negotiations were really tense in the recent days because Marseille had a new bid rejected and so they started exploring other options.

What they are doing now is to renegotiate again with Arsenal for Eddie Nketiah.

What I’m hearing is that they presented a new proposal in the last 24 hours, but now they want to close the deal only at their conditions – because they already spent other money in other positions.

Remember that Arsenal are also working to close the deal for Mikel Merino.

He hasn’t been called up for Real Sociedad’s next game because they say that he’s not 100 percent fit, but we know the transfer is behind this story because Mikel Merino has an agreement with Arsenal.

The contract is already agreed. The player said yes. He knows that Mikel Arteta wants him. This is the reality.

Arsenal have been closing in on the deal since last week, but they need to agree on the payment structure, payment terms, so a work in progress.

Barca pushing for Nico but Athletic are relaxed

Lots of questions still regarding Nico Williams, and as I wrote on Substack yesterday guys, no changes…

Barça keep calling Nico’s agent, but at the moment Athletic Club remain completely confident and optimistic to keep him at the club.

They are sure that Nico will end up staying. Barça have a dream and they are trying to make it a reality, but Athletic are currently relaxed.

Still chances for Ivan Toney to find a new club

I think there’s still a chance for a move to happen this summer for Ivan Toney.

There could be movements in the next days and weeks, but there’s nothing imminent so far.

We have to see about which clubs have a concrete interest, because about 10 different clubs have been rumoured to be interested in him this summer.

I don’t want to put out names without any concrete updates but, for sure, it’s still an open situation.

Richarlison’s focus won’t change Tottenham’s plans for Solanke

There are no changes to Tottenham’s plans on signing Dominic Solanke, despite Richarlison wanting to stay.

Solanke remains the priority target.

Richarlison is fully focused on Spurs and Tottenham were already aware of this so his situation doesn’t change the plan to bring in more players.

It’s never easy to negotiate with Bournemouth but Spurs are trying.

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Chris Smalling could be on the move this summer

Roma are looking for a new centre-back and Smalling could leave in the case of a good proposal for both Roma and the player.

Jadon Sancho’s situation is still wide open

I wanted to finish by mentioning Jadon Sancho. It’s important to say that his situation too remains open.

He is 100 percent part of the Man United team, but in case of a formal proposal in the next three weeks, there could still be movement for Jadon Sancho.

Man United could be open to doing business and the player could also be open to the move, so it all depends on the proposals.

Now, everything is okay, but PSG and others have been making contact with Sancho’s agents.

Still no bid but the situation is one to watch until the end of the window.

The post Transfer news: Trippier not West Ham’s priority, Sancho situation open and more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

There’s only a week to go before Man United begin their 2024/25 Premier League campaign against Fulham.

The Red Devils will open proceedings in the English top-flight with their Friday night fixture against the Cottagers, and Erik ten Hag will be hoping that he can count on the vast majority of his first-team for the encounter.

Ahead of this weekend’s Community Shield against Man City, it’s understood that the likes of Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are all doubtful for the fixture.

Man United ace’s future still open

With Leny Yoro out for the foreseeable future too, once again United will have a patchwork defence, something that ten Hag struggled with in the previous campaign.

A potential double swoop for Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich can’t come soon enough.

Away from United’s defensive troubles, there could still be business to be done elsewhere in the squad.

Although things have settled down significantly for him, Jadon Sancho could still be on the move.

“He is 100 percent part of the Man United team, but in case of a formal proposal in the next three weeks, there could still be movement for Jadon Sancho,” Fabrizio Romano told CaughtOffside for his exclusive Daily Briefing.

“Man United could be open to doing business and the player could also be open to the move, so it all depends on the proposals.

“Now, everything is okay, but PSG and others have been making contact with Sancho’s agents.

“Still no bid but the situation is one to watch until the end of the window.”

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Nothing from Man United’s point of view would suggest that there have been any ongoing issues between player and club, and he could prove to be an asset for ten Hag if no acceptable offers are forthcoming.

Reading between the lines, however, advancing news that Sancho is open to a move would suggest that the club are still looking to offload him.

United’s long-suffering fan base are likely to be split down the middle as to whether they want him to stay or not, given what happened during last season.

The post “One to watch” – Fabrizio Romano advances important Man United update that could split fan base appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Man United are reportedly looking to further bolster their attack despite already bringing in a new striker.

The Red Devils made Dutch forward Joshua Zirkzee their first summer signing after agreeing to a £36.5 million deal with Bologna.

The Netherlands international is set to provide cover and competition for Rasmus Hojlund after the 21-year-old led United’s attack alone last season.

Now with Zirkzee as part of the squad and handed the team’s iconic number 11 shirt, the 23-year-old is primed to make his club debut during Saturday’s Community Shield against rivals Manchester City.

Man United looking to sign another striker

Despite having Zirkzee and Hojlund among his attacking options, Erik Ten Hag, according to a recent report from Football Insider, is keen to sign another striker.

Although the Dutchman recently revealed backup plans to use Jadon Sancho as a striker, the winger could be sold before the start of the season.

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The 24-year-old endured an up-and-down campaign last season. A public falling out with his manager forced a loan move back to Borussia Dortmund, and although the pair have since put their differences aside, United appear eager to offload the troublesome wide-man.

Paris Saint-Germain, who are continuing to identify players to replace the recently departed Kylian Mbappe, are believed to be working on a deal. The Ligue 1 giants could offer the former City academy graduate a chance to reignite his career.

The post Man United want another striker as Jadon Sancho remains target for PSG appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester United’s transfer business has been sensible in the summer transfer window.

It is unlike what they have done in the recent transfer windows but after the arrival of a new sporting director in Dan Ashworth, a new CEO in Omar Berrada and a technical director in Jason Wilcox, they have acted smartly.

All this has been lead by co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is determined to take the club back to their former heights.

They have signed Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro and offloaded the likes of Mason Greenwood and Donny van de Beek.

According to Football Insider, Man United are edging closer to another big name leaving the club as Jadon Sancho is nearing a deal to join Paris Saint-Germain.

The English winger has endured a difficult time at Old Trafford since joining the club form Borussia Dortmund for £73m (via BBC) back in 2021.

He has had a public feud with manager Erik ten Hag and his performances on the pitch have been highly disappointing.

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Sancho was sent on loan to Dortmund in January where he found his form again but the Red Devils have no intention of keeping him and they are currently involved in negotiations with PSG to sell the player.

As per the report, a deal to take Sancho to the French capital is getting closer and the Red Devils are happy to let the player leave the club.

Sancho needs to move away from Man United for a fresh start

It is the right move for Sancho and his football career after failing to impress in the Premier League following a big money move.

The winger might be able to perform away from the spotlight of Man United and a new environment under a new manager can work wonders for his confidence.

The Red Devils are expected to sign another attacker this summer as ten Hag aims to continue adding more depth to his squad.

The post Report: Man United edge closer to agreeing a deal to offload expensive misfit appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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

Julian Alvarez transfer nearly done and how Man City could replace him

We’ve had significant developments on a few major deals in a crazy domino around Europe and the first of those is the ‘here we go’ for Julian Alvarez to move from Manchester City to Atletico Madrid. It’s a record sale for Man City – a €75m guaranteed fee plus €20m in add-ons.

So that could be a potential €95m sale for a player Man City signed for just £14m a couple of years ago – an incredible piece of business for the Premier League champions. Of course it’s also an exciting signing for Atletico Madrid, who are landing a top talent up front, so it’s fantastic for both clubs.

It will be completed soon, with Alvarez set to sign a five-year contract. Alvarez has also spoken already with Diego Simeone, who has been really keen to push this move through.

Man City will now look at options to replace Alvarez, for sure. It could be a striker, but I would not be surprised if they end up considering also wingers and maybe playing with a false nine when Erling Haaland will not be available. Talks are taking place internally to decide on the next move, so we will have to wait and see the outcome of those discussions.

Latest on Conor Gallagher and Samu Omorodion deals

Another big name on his way to Atletico Madrid is Conor Gallagher. The Chelsea midfielder said yes to the La Liga giants after a complicated saga that took some time – he’s now agreed to the contract terms and will fly for his medical. The verbal agreement is in place, but all still waiting to get all signed in order to feel finally safe on this saga, it’s almost ten days now.

Chelsea will make a guaranteed €40m from the sale of Gallagher, so it’s a good sale for them, especially as they preferred to sell him abroad even though he also had interest from Premier League clubs. Tottenham wanted him for next summer as a free agent, but no formal bid was sent to Chelsea this summer.

Of course, Samu Omorodion to Chelsea has also been part of these discussions, though it’s a separate deal. There was interest from Chelsea earlier in the summer, but Atletico said no as they didn’t want to sell the player, while he was also very happy with Atletico.

However, with the Alvarez deal on top of the recent move for Alexander Sorloth, there is no more room for Omorodion, so it’s now all set for him to join Chelsea. The agreement is done with the player on a contract valid for the next seven years, while the clubs have also agreed on a fee of €35m.

So, Omorodion has accepted the move and will have his medical soon, and it’s one more striker for Enzo Maresca. In the end, the Alvarez deal was a crucial part of the domino, even though Omorodion was happy to stay at Atletico, and now he’s getting closer to Chelsea, with some final details to clarify.

Now Chelsea will have to decide what they want to do with Marc Guiu, who they signed from Barcelona earlier in the window, as they could keep him in their squad or possibly send him out on loan. David Datro Fofana and Armando Broja could also leave, and the priority for Chelsea is for a permanent transfer for both players, or it could be a loan with an obligation to buy.

Joao Felix to Aston Villa could still be one to watch

Joao Felix’s future remains undecided and there were some reports that he could be part of the Julian Alvarez deal, though my understanding was that Manchester City were always likely to sell Alvarez without any other player being involved. Felix was never a target for Man City, they have different ideas – they respect him as a player of course, but they have different plans for this window.

With Felix, keep an eye on Aston Villa because the appreciation from Villa Park is still there – Unai Emery really loves Felix as a player. It’s still not decided where Felix will go next, it’s not being decided now, but I wanted to clarify that he was not part of the Alvarez negotiations.

So, the Felix story is not closed yet, and at the moment Atletico are obviously busy with other deals, so we’ll see again in the next few days if the Felix situation will be discussed and what it could mean for his future. Villa are still there, but it’s not time for a breakthrough in this deal just yet.

Jadon Sancho could still leave Man Utd plus truth about those Denzel Dumfries links

There is still a possibility for Jadon Sancho to leave Manchester United in this transfer window – we have to keep the door open for that, but at the moment it’s still not advancing to important stages of negotiations. It’s true that Paris Saint-Germain have an interest and that they have spoken with the agents of the player.

However, there have been reports that PSG are closing in on the player and that’s not correct as far as I understand. He’s on their list, it’s a possibility, but we’re not yet at that stage of the negotiation. Sancho to PSG could be one to watch, but it’s not decided yet, and we’ll have to see as well what Manchester United want to do with the player, because the decision of the club, of INEOS, and of Erik ten Hag will be important to decide the next steps of this story.

Another United story that has gained a lot of attention in recent hours is with Denzel Dumfries. At the moment, I’m still told that Man United’s focus remains on Noussair Mazraoui as their priority target. There’s still no agreement with Bayern but the player is also waiting for United, so the right-back story remains with full focus on Mazraoui.

Dumfries will not sign a new contract in August, but if he’s staying at Inter beyond August it remains a possibility for him to extend.

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No change on Victor Osimhen to Chelsea saga

As ever, a lot is being written about Victor Osimhen’s future, with reports from England and Italy saying completely different things, but from what I’m told there has been no change in the last 24-48 hours. With Chelsea, I expect nothing will change tomorrow or the next day either, because the situation is still very clear – Chelsea’s interest remains, they are having conversations with Napoli, but the only option for them to continue is with a loan or another kind of creative formula.

Napoli want to sign Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea, and Lukaku has an agreement already with Napoli, but at the moment the issue is that Osimhen is not considering a loan move to Chelsea. He is also not going to lower his wages or accept a reduced salary. So, everything remains open and nothing has changed yet, but when it does I will let you know.

Mikel Merino Arsenal transfer talks ongoing

It’s gone a bit quiet on the Mikel Merino to Arsenal saga in recent days, so I’ve had some fans asking me for an update on the situation.

For now my understanding is that negotiations continue, it’s still all verbal with no formal bid but for sure Merino is waiting for Arsenal to complete the agreement with Real Sociedad.

It’s also about payment terms, the structure, more things to follow between the two clubs. Merino wants Arsenal, so it’s just on the clubs now.

The post Transfer news: Alvarez replacement, ins and outs at Chelsea, Merino to Arsenal latest & more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

When Jadon Sancho effectively called out his Man United manager, Erik ten Hag, on social media last year, it appeared to be the beginning of the end for his career at Old Trafford.

Banished to train with the youth teams, Sancho eventually moved back to Borussia Dortmund on loan at the first available opportunity.

When the 2023/24 campaign ended, it appeared that a deal might be able to be done to keep the former England international at the Bundesliga giant, however, nothing has been forthcoming over the summer so far.

Jadon Sancho’s situation at a standstill

A thawing of relations between the pair was a surprise to everyone, with Sancho forming part of United’s tour of the United States.

Now that there are only nine days until the Red Devils kick-off the new Premier League season, it would appear that he does have a future at United after all.

CaughtOffside columnist and transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano, advanced an important update on Wednesday, which threw new light on Sancho’s situation.

? Manchester United have still not received any bid from PSG for Jadon Sancho, despite interest.

Understand Sancho’s future remains open, he could still leave United in the final weeks in case of important proposal.

Decision will be up to the club and the manager Erik ten Hag. pic.twitter.com/mcZiYCK42w

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 7, 2024

As Romano noted, the player’s future is actually still wide open, and though there has been no bid forthcoming from Paris Saint-Germain, he could still leave United before the closure of the transfer window.

It’s a delicate situation and one has to wonder if the show of togetherness between player and manager is nothing more than window dressing for the media.

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If Sancho ends up staying simply because no one else comes in with an acceptable offer, can ten Hag really consider him a first choice or will the 24-year-old once again be cast aside and only utilised sporadically?

The post Important update to the Jadon Sancho story at Man United appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester United have begun initial talks with Paris Saint-Germain regarding the sale of Jadon Sancho with conditions of a potential deal being discussed.

Sancho’s future remains up in the air at Man United heading into the 2024/25 season despite the winger making up with Erik ten Hag upon his return to Old Trafford following a period out on loan with Borussia Dortmund.

The 24-year-old has been participating in the Manchester club’s pre-season preparations and following the injury to Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee working his way towards match fitness, Ten Hag admitted that Sancho could play up front for United against Man City on Saturday in the FA Community Shield.

However, Man United are also open to the idea of selling Sancho and according to Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth, PSG have held initial talks with the Premier League club over the signing of the English winger.

Discussions over the conditions of a potential deal have taken place and it is being said that the 24-year-old could be open to the move to France. Personal terms are not expected to be a problem for the deal with talks set to continue between the two clubs over the transfers of the Englishman and Manuel Ugarte.

More Stories / Latest News

Daniel Farke was left unimpressed by one Leeds player against Portsmouth

Aug 11 2024, 21:31

Fabrizio Romano provides update which will please Chelsea fans

Aug 11 2024, 21:02

Newcastle cleared to revive interest in former Man Utd forward

Aug 11 2024, 21:01

PSG could be a great move for Man United’s Jadon Sancho

It is unclear what role Sancho will have at Man United this season should the winger stay as Ten Hag is very likely to choose Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho to play out wide at Old Trafford.

A move to PSG could be a good option for the Englishman as things simply have not worked out for him in Manchester.

The level of Ligue 1 is not as strong as the Premier League and playing in France would help build up Sancho’s confidence and he could have a big role to play in Luis Enrique’s team following the departure of Kylian Mbappe.

Only time will tell what happens with Sancho’s career as his future remains a story to keep an eye on throughout the rest of the window.

The post European giants begin talks over Man United’s Jadon Sancho, winger open to move appeared first on CaughtOffside.