London clubs active as transfer window heats up
Arsenal and Chelsea Transfer Activity
Arsenal are reportedly finalising the acquisition of Ezri Konsa for a fee of £51million. Additionally, the club has secured the signings of Manchester United players James Scanlon and Habeeb Ogunneye. There is also continued interest in Kenan Yildiz, with reports suggesting Arsenal could make an offer of $118 million (£87 million) to Juventus for the winger. A swap deal involving Gabriel Martinelli or Gabriel Jesus has also been considered, as Juventus are said to be interested in both players.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are preparing for a new bid from Manchester City for Enzo Fernandez. The club may also consider selling Pedro Neto and Tosin Adarabioyo. Chelsea have reportedly beaten Barcelona to the signing of Alfie Osborne. In other news, Axel Disasi is set to join Crystal Palace on a season-long loan from Chelsea, with the defender expected to undergo a medical on Friday. Chelsea are reportedly seeking a small loan fee, and Crystal Palace will cover the player’s wages. Chelsea have also added Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White to their list of targets.
Xabi Alonso addressed the speculation surrounding Enzo Fernandez, stating that Fernandez is a Chelsea player who is training well and preparing for an upcoming match. He also noted that Reece James is the first captain, with other leaders sharing the role.
Manchester United and Tottenham Movements
Manchester United are nearing the signing of Carlos Baleba to bolster their midfield. The club could then focus on left-sided defender Edmond Tapsoba. Joshua Zirkzee is reportedly open to moves to both Juventus and Napoli as he seeks to leave Manchester United this summer. Bayern Munich centre-back Kim Min-jae remains a target for Manchester United in the final weeks of the transfer window. Aurélien Tchouaméni of Real Madrid, also a target for Manchester United, could depart if he is not guaranteed a starting position.
Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly reached an agreement for Savinho in a deal worth £85m ($116.5 million). Omar Marmoush is expected to be their next target. However, Pape Matar Sarr is reportedly in advanced talks to move to Galatasaray, indicating a potential departure from Tottenham.
Other Premier League Developments
Liverpool are reportedly reconsidering a move for Ibrahim Mbaye due to slow progress in talks for Bradley Barcola. A bid from Liverpool for Yakuba Minteh has been rejected. Aston Villa have secured Aaron Wan-Bissaka on a season-long loan from West Ham, with a conditional obligation to buy. Wan-Bissaka made 25 Premier League appearances last season. Aston Villa are also reportedly looking at Tosin Adarabioyo and Fikayo Tomori as potential replacements for Ezri Konsa.
Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage has stated that Adam Wharton will not be sold this summer, following an approach from Manchester City that was turned down. Leeds are set to sign Ditmir Hodja, an 18-year-old North Macedonia international, who scored six goals in 33 appearances last season. Strasbourg, a sister club of Chelsea, has completed the signing of Werder Bremen talent Karim Coulibaly on a five-year deal.
Atletico Madrid’s director of football, Mateu Alemany, is in London to negotiate a loan deal for Nicolas Jackson, with Chelsea needing to offload several strikers before the transfer deadline. Barcelona, having reportedly accepted defeat in their pursuit of Julián Alvarez, have identified Inter striker Lautaro Martínez as their primary target. Arsenal’s Viktor Gyökeres has also been linked with Barcelona, who are also interested in Nicolò Tresoldi.
Everton, Leeds United, and Liverpool have identified Midtjylland winger Darío Osorio as a target. Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest are both interested in signing Chelsea striker Liam Delap. Newcastle United are planning to sign another midfielder and are reportedly ready to accept a reduced offer for Joe Willock. Borussia Dortmund are considering Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri and unattached winger Jadon Sancho. Barcelona are open to offers for midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who could seek an exit if he struggles for playing time after returning from injury. Real Madrid are attempting to offload defender Raúl Asencio, who has resisted the club’s efforts to sell him. José Mourinho is reportedly keen to bring Porto midfielder Victor Froholdt to Real Madrid. Barcelona are pursuing the signing of Fenerbahçe goalkeeper Dominik Livaković, who is reportedly willing to join and spend the upcoming season on loan with a view to replacing Wojciech Szczęsny at Camp Nou next summer.
Ezri Konsa is anticipated to make his Arsenal debut on August 31, when the team visits his former club, Aston Villa.
Source: standard.co.uk
Nathan Crowley is the Sports News Writer at NewsUK, covering rugby union, golf and boxing with six years of reporting experience. He moved from regional newspapers into digital sport. He holds a degree in Journalism from Cardiff University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Cardiff, he plays amateur rugby and follows the Six Nations closely. “Speed and accuracy are not a trade-off in sport news.”
