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Many of you have asked me about the situation with Jadon Sancho and Raheem Sterling, so let’s start with that story. Firstly, the news that Sancho could be leaving Manchester United is not really new, it’s something we’ve been saying for weeks, and the situation hasn’t changed much since yesterday.
So, to clarify, Juventus are in talks with Sancho’s agents, and also with Manchester United over a loan deal with a buyout clause – United want it to be an obligation to buy, while Juve want it to be a purchase option.
What about Chelsea? They see Sancho as an opportunity, and if Man United want to take a player in the deal, such as Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell or any other player who can leave Chelsea, they would be more than happy to do the deal. Chelsea’s position is that they would be more than happy to sign Sancho, but it must also mean United taking one of the players they don’t want in the squad.
In short, Sancho is wanted by both Chelsea and Juventus: both clubs are working on the deal but with different perspectives. Chelsea will only consider the Sancho deal with a swap for one of their players who are not part of the project, such as Raheem Sterling.
Juventus, meanwhile, are in talks with United about Sancho’s loan with a purchase clause, but salary coverage is also a key point. At the moment I understand that Sancho is open to both moves, so it depends on the clubs.
Liverpool are working on the Federico Chiesa deal – they are talking to Juventus and also the player’s agent. Liverpool are reportedly understanding the terms of the deal, with Juve demanding around €15m for the player, who will be able to leave as a free agent next summer.
The salary will also be a crucial point, and this is one of the things that Liverpool are discussing. Talks are ongoing, let’s see what happens, but it is clear that if Chiesa ends up leaving Juventus, this could help them improve their proposed replacement like Jadon Sancho.
For me, Chiesa would be a fantastic signing – he is perfect for Liverpool, he is fast and deserves to play in a team with attacking football like Liverpool, as Juventus under Allegri were too defensive.
As for other similar targets for Liverpool, I don’t know of any other players being considered at the moment, my name for Liverpool is Federico Chiesa.
Staying with Liverpool, there is still no update so far on Joe Gomez’s future. Interest from many clubs such as Crystal Palace, Fulham and more remains, but there is still nothing concrete about talks between clubs or an official offer. He’s still one to watch, but Gomez could also end up staying at Liverpool.
I wanted to clarify the situation with Victor Osimhen, as it is another important story for the final days of the window. Some people have been mentioning Paris Saint-Germain, but the information I have is that the last contact between Osimhen and PSG was in the last week of July; that was the last time Osimhen, his agents or anyone from the Naples board spoke. at PSG
So, at the moment PSG are not working on the Osimhen deal, that is the reality, and if it changes I will update you, but at the moment it is not happening. I can guarantee, however, that Chelsea and Al Ahli are still working on the Osimhen deal. Al Ahli already have an agreement with Napoli for 65 million euros, so that is good, but what is missing is the agreement between Osimhen and the Saudi club.
However, I can guarantee that Al Ahli are still working to convince Osimhen and reach an agreement with him. But Chelsea are also still in it, while Ivan Toney could also be an option for both clubs if they don’t sign Osimhen.
Thus, Ivan Toney could definitely be one to watch in the last few days. It is important to remember that Brentford are still demanding big money. They rejected an offer of around £37-38m from Al-Ahli last week, but talks remain active with the club. Let’s see what happens there, and with the rest of the clubs in England.
Another Chelsea story that has been circulating is with the future of Axel Disasi possibly in doubt and with Newcastle one of the names linked. I don’t have any concrete updates so far though, it seems like a quiet situation for now. Let’s see what happens between Newcastle and Marc Guehi but for Disasi I still have nothing fresh.
Justin Bijlow’s deal with Southampton has been canceled after he failed a medical and returned to Feyenoord, so Southampton are now considering a move for Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale. Ramsdale was always on his shortlist and Arsenal want a loan with an obligation to buy.
As a replacement, Arsenal want to buy Joan Garcia from Espanyol to provide cover for first-choice David Raya. That’s the idea, and Arsenal already have a deal with Garcia, and they’re just waiting to see what happens with Ramsdale.
Of course, we now also know that Mikel Merino is an Arsenal player after yesterday’s official announcement, and it comes as Manuel Ugarte at Manchester United also became a “here we are” before yesterday Some fans have asked me about these two offers and to make a comparison about who is the better midfielder.
Still, they are completely different players in my opinion, I’d say it’s impossible to compare. However, I think both of these moves are excellent – Merino is perfect for what Arsenal needed as he brings balance and quality. Man United needed a player with Ugarte’s skills and they only wanted him, he was their number one priority since June. I think Merino in particular will surprise a lot of people, and for €32m plus add-ons it’s excellent business from Arsenal.
Finally, former Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has retired from professional football after he recently terminated his contract with Juventus. This took some people by surprise, but I’m not surprised because he always thought it was top level or retired. From what I know of him, he’s a smart guy, an excellent person; I didn’t want to go anywhere just for the sake of it. Now I have no idea what his plans are for his post-playing career, we’ll have to wait and see what he decides.
