Things are changing fast at Old Trafford after Manchester United’s epic win over Liverpool, with a number of potential arrivals and departures likely before the transfer window is bolted shut.
Antony of Ajax and Cody Gakpo of PSV remain firmly on the radar. Erik ten Hag has made Antony a priority target but the Eredivisie club are playing hardball on the fee, and want €100m (£85m), having sold key players this summer. Antony’s agent, Emerson Santos, set tongues wagging on Monday night with an Instagram story featuring his client watching United beat Liverpool on telly.
Gakpo is available for less than half the touted fee for Antony – and reports suggest United have even agreed personal terms with the winger. Sergiño Dest of Barcelona – a player Ten Hag worked with at Ajax – has essentially been told to sling his hook by Xavi, so it’s not impossible the full-back heads for Old Trafford before the month is out.
To United’s outgoings and it seems that Eric Bailly is off to Marseille: reports in France say he will join the Ligue 1 club for an initial £8.4m. Marseille had also been linked with Cristiano Ronaldo – notably omitted for the rousing win over Liverpool – but the French club are now said to have scratched the idea.
But there may still be hope for Ronaldo’s dream of departing Old Trafford: Sporting Lisbon remain in the mix as a potential destination, although the Portuguese club aren’t keen to pay a transfer fee, which sounds like a potential stumbling block.
The Times reports Chelsea are confident of wrapping up a deal for Everton’s Anthony Gordon this week – while Sky Sports News are claiming this morning that Todd Boehly and friends are willing to pay as much as £60m to prise the forward away from Goodison Park.
Chelsea may also reignite their interest in Rafael Leão from Milan, according to PA: the 23-year-old has failed to agree a new contract with the Rossoneri, but a hefty release clause in the region of €150m has been mentioned.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano says Chelsea’s chat with Barcelona over a deal for Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang is progressing well, with personal terms agreed. Memphis Depay will also be leaving Barcelona – a switch to Juventus is a possibility although they may choose to recruit the former Napoli hitman Arkadiusz Milik instead.
Important hours ahead for Aubameyang and Depay deals. 🚨🔵 #FCB
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 23, 2022
▫️ Barça want €30m for Aubameyang, talks in progress with Chelsea - personal terms agreed;
▫️ Depay ready to terminate Barça contract, but waiting for Juve to decide as Arkadiusz Milik is the other option. pic.twitter.com/oV11dTHb28
Admiring glances are said to be emanating from Tottenham in north London in the direction of Daniel James at Leeds. With Bryan Gil set for a move to Valencia, Spurs’ managing director, Fabio Paratici, wants to bolster Antonio Conte’s attacking options and is reportedly a fan of the hard-running former Manchester United winger.
Another Leeds player reportedly in the sights of a rival club is Jack Harrison. Newcastle have lodged a second bid of more than £20m, reckons the Athletic, but Jesse Marsch and co are determined to keep a player who most recently impressed in the weekend pasting of Chelsea.
Fulham may look to France, and Layvin Kurzawa of Paris Saint-Germain, for cover at left-back. L’Équipe reports that they have made inquiries over a possible deal. Although his sizeable wage packet may prove problematic, PSG might be willing to keep paying a portion of it to get him off the books.
