The latest transfer news from Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and City as Liverpool prepare for a hectic end to season
Liverpool face a challenging end to the transfer window as their search for a defensive midfielder continues. Bids for Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia ultimately fell through as Chelsea secured deals for both players.
Jurgen Klopp oversaw the engine room rebuild this summer, with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai as two first steps in the process.
Since then, though, the Reds have struggled to get the job done. Jordan Henderson and Fabinho both left for Saudi Arabia but are yet to be replaced. Meanwhile, pressure mounts on the Anfield recruiting team as the rivals go about their business. Here’s a breakdown of the news and gossip from across the Premier League…
Manchester City
Central defender Josko Gvardiol recently arrived at Manchester for £77.6m and it now looks as if Ayermic Laporte will pay the price.
City have accepted an offer for the Spaniard from Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr, according to David Ornstein. The 29-year-old is said to be open to relocating to the Gulf state. In terms of additional income, Pep Guardiola’s men would follow Rennes’ Jeremy Doku, a player previously linked to Liverpool. Fabrizio Romano is said to be “at the top of the Municipality ranking”.
And there is expected to be further movement in the pursuit of West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta, as City’s claims have so far been rejected.
Chelsea
Further details on Chelsea’s transfer for Southampton’s Romeo Lavia are now rolling out.
The final fee for the young star would have been £53m with a further £5m in add-ons. According to the Athletic, City also get a huge windfall from their former player. They will apparently “invest 20 percent of the profit from the sale due to a sale clause included in his agreement.”
And it looks like Todd Boehly’s craziness isn’t over yet. Ties with Crystal Palace star Michael Olise have grown in recent days.
There is now a tip in the French media that he is heading to Stamford Bridge for a fee of around £34m with – you guessed it – a “long-term contract” on the table.
Manchester United
Gary Neville has spoken out about the need for a defensive midfielder at Old Trafford, especially after Monday night’s lucky win against Wolves. Speaking to Sky after the 1-0 win, he said: “One thing [manager Erik ten Hag] is not going to go back to the midfield style of Fred and [Scott] McTominay, because they can’t play. He wants everyone on that pitch to be able to play the ball his way.
“What I’m saying is that [Sofyan] Amrabat could come and play alongside Casemiro, maybe give him some help. Look, he’s been absolutely smashed tonight. Casemiro, the Manchester United midfield didn’t exist, it was done torn apart by wolves.”
It appears Neville will soon get his wish, with fresh speculation in the Italian press that the 26-year-old Fiorentina midfielder could be leaving.
There are suggestions that Amrabat could be available for around £21m, with United appearing to be ready to bid. Liverpool have also recently been linked with the Morocco international again, so it remains to be seen if the Reds join the fray as well.
arsenal
After a summer shopping spree that crossed the £200million mark, it now looks like Arsenal’s deal is coming to an end.
David Raya has been loaned out by Brentford for a season to bolster the goalkeeping department – with Kai Havertz, Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber already in the bag.
According to football.london, Raya represents the ‘perfect transfer ending’ for what looks to be a very positive window.
