Transfer News &#8211; CaughtOffside

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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Fabrizio Romano provides update which will please Chelsea fans

Charlie Patrick — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 20:02:31 +0000

Napoli are going to try and reach an agreement next week for Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

The Blues have been busy in the transfer market with a number of new faces coming through the door, the latest being Pedro Neto who was presented on the pitch at half time of Sunday’s game against Inter Milan.

However, Chelsea have a number of players they need to move on before the end of the window and progress on outgoings has been slow.

Napoli will try to reach Lukaku agreement next week

Chelsea have sold Ian Maatsen and Omari Hutchinson, whilst Conor Gallagher is on the verge of joining Atletico Madrid, but that’s just scratching the surface of who needs to be moved on.

There’s currently a group of players including Lukaku, Armando Broja and Trevoh Chalobah training away from the first team whilst they sort their futures out.

In regards to Lukaku, Chelsea will be desperate to move him on once and for all this summer following his disastrous return to the club in 2021.

Lukaku wants to join Napoli but they have yet to reach an agreement with Chelsea.

The Belgian has a £38m exit clause in his contract and has spent the last two seasons on loan at Inter and Roma, but now has set his sights on a move to Napoli and a reunion with Antonio Conte.

Lukaku has reportedly agreed a three deal with Napoli, but as of yet there’s no agreement with Chelsea and the deal is made more complicated by the fact Napoli need to offload Victor Osimihen to make room for the Belgium international.

However, Romano has provided an update on the situation and has reported that Napoli are going to try and reach an agreement for Lukaku next week.

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

“Napoli next week are prepared to get in touch with Chelsea again to try to reach an agreement and bring Romelu Lukaku to Antonio Conte,” he said on his YouTube channel.

Chelsea expect the exit clause to be paid in full but the longer the saga drags on they may accept slightly less if it means they can get his wages off the books once and for all.

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Newcastle cleared to revive interest in former Man Utd forward

CJ — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 20:01:37 +0000

Galatasaray forward Wilfried Zaha is seeking an immediate return to the Premier League this summer, according to reports.

The Ivory Coast international is a Crystal Palace icon, notching 90 goals and 62 assists in 458 appearances across all competitions between 2010 and 2023, either side of an unsuccessful spell with Man Utd between 2013 and 2015.

Zaha left Selhurst Park at the end of his contract last summer to join Turkish giants Galatasaray, who he helped win the Super Lig title with nine goals and three assists in 30 appearances — a record extending to 10 goals and five assists in 43 games across all competitions.

However, reports (via Newcastle World) now state that Zaha is ‘desperate’ for a return to the Premier League this summer and would be allowed to leave Galatasaray on loan.

Former club Crystal Palace are understood to have expressed an interest in Zaha, while Leicester City are also potential suitors of the 31-year-old — who has also won the Turkish Super Cup during his time in Istanbul.

Wilfried Zaha of Galatasaray looks on during the UEFA Champions League match between Galatasaray A.S. and FC Bayern München at Ali Sami Yen Arena on October 24, 2023 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Could Newcastle revive Zaha interest?

Newcastle United were reportedly interested in Zaha last summer prior to his move to Turkey, but ultimately declined to pursue the winger any further.

However, the Magpies are undoubtedly short of options on the flanks right now. Anthony Gordon is their star wideman but has been heavily linked with a move to boyhood club Liverpool in recent weeks.

Beyond Gordon, Harvey Barnes and the out-of-favour Ryan Fraser the only senior wingers on the books at St. James’ Park.

With that in mind, would it be the biggest surprise to see Newcastle make a move for Zaha, whose availability on loan would certainly appeal to Eddie Howe’s PSR-limited budget?

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Surprise Champions League club in formal talks to sign Chelsea outcast

Charlie Patrick — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 19:25:15 +0000

Bundesliga side VFB Stuttgart are in talks to sign Chelsea striker Armando Broja on loan according to Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg.

Chelsea have been busy in the transfer market this summer with several new faces coming through the door, and the club confirmed the signing of Pedro Neto at half time in Sunday’s game against Inter Milan at Stamford Bridge.

While the Blues may still make one or two more additions the main focus before the window shuts is outgoings with Chelsea needing to move on several players.

Broja in talks with Stuttgart

Chelsea have a number of players training away from the first team as they look to sort out moves away, with Broja part of that group.

Progress on the striker’s departure has been slow and although he’s been linked with the likes of Everton, Wolves and AC Milan nothing has materialised yet.

However, Plettenberg has provided an update on the Albanian’s future and it seems he could be edging closer to joining German outfit Stuttgart.

He took to X.com and said:

“VfB Stuttgart in formal talks to sign Armando #Broja on loan 22 y/o Chelsea striker has been on the list for weeks. As recently revealed in our Transfer Update show, Stuttgart is planning to sign another striker on loan if possible.

“#VfB exploring more loan candidates but Broja is a concrete option as the player is open to join Stuttgart now. Nothing advanced yet. Early stage. #CFC @SkySportDE.”

???? VfB Stuttgart in formal talks to sign Armando #Broja on loan ??

22 y/o Chelsea striker has been on the list for weeks. As recently revealed in our Transfer Update show, Stuttgart is planning to sign another striker on loan if possible. #VfB exploring more loan… pic.twitter.com/hncmXdztDj

— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) August 11, 2024

Broja struggled to make an impression under Mauricio Pochettino over the first half of last season and the Blues tried to sell him in January, but there were no takers at their reported £50m asking price.

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

The Albania international instead joined Fulham on loan which turned out to be a disaster as he played just 80 minutes of football.

Stuttgart finished a surprise second in the Bundesliga last season but have lost a number of their key players this summer, however it would represent a good move for Broja and would provide him with Champions League football.

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Leeds United fear losing star forward as Premier League club returns with second bid

CJ — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 16:55:51 +0000

Leeds United are bracing themselves for another push from Brighton for striker Georginio Rutter, according to reports.

Brighton are on the lookout for new options in the final third after they allowed German striker Deniz Undav to make his loan to Stuttgart a permanent transfer.

The Seagulls can currently call upon Joao Pedro, Danny Welbeck and talented Irish youngster Evan Ferguson in the No.9 spot, but that trio scored just 20 Premier League goals between them in 2023/24 — four of which were penalties.

According to The Sunday People (via MOT Leeds News), Brighton are considering coming back to the table for Rutter after seeing an initial £30m bid rejected.

Rutter arrived at Leeds from Hoffenheim in January 2023 for a fee that could rise to a club-record £36m (per BBC Sport).

The former France youth international initially struggled to adjust to English football, failing to score in 13 appearances across all competitions at the end of the 2023/24 campaign — including 11 Premier League outings.

However, Rutter performed brilliantly as a second striker last season, notching eight goals and 17 assists in 52 appearances across all competitions, including six goals and 15 assists in 45 Championship games.

Daniel Farke will be praying he can keep hold of Rutter following a summer where Leeds have already seen Crysencio Summerville, Archie Gray, Glen Kamara and Luis Sinisterra leave for handsome fees, while Wilfried Gnonto continues to be linked with a move away from Elland Road.

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Newcastle United in talks with Premier League rivals to sign ex-Man Utd forward

CJ — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 16:33:51 +0000

Newcastle United may turn to Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga in their search for a new right winger, according to reports.

Even should they keep hold of Anthony Gordon this summer, the Magpies are short on options in wide areas with Harvey Barnes and the out-of-favour Ryan Fraser the only senior wingers on the books.

Elanga impressed at Forest last season following his £15m (per BBC Sport) summer arrival from Manchester United, notching five goals and nine assists in 36 Premier League appearances, while he was first among his teammates for carries into the opposition penalty area (42).

According to Football Insider, Newcastle are ‘admirers’ of Elanga and are already in talks with Forest over a potential deal.

Could Anthony Elanga join Newcastle United?

The two clubs have already conducted business this summer, with Elliot Anderson moving to the City Ground and goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos moving in the opposite direction.

Football Insider’s report also names West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen as another potential target, but Newcastle — whose first choice target this summer was thought to be Michael Olise, who left Crystal Palace for Bayern Munich — have been put off by the Hammers’ £100m valuation.

The Magpies have also spoken with Chelsea over a possible deal for English winger Noni Madueke, but no bid has yet come forth.

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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.

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