Key events
Manchester clubs set for quiet window closure
Jamie Jackson
Despite the sale of Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid for €95m (£81.5m) earlier this month Manchester City are unlikely to replace the forward or do any other business before the summer window closes on Friday at 11pm, though the usual caveat of never say never remains, is the understanding of this correspondent.
Across town, Manchester United have no cash left once the expected €50m (£42.3m) plus €10m buy of Manuel Ugarte is completed (which may occur on Thursday) but if Jadon Sancho departs on a permanent deal – the player’s preference is Chelsea though Juventus are still keen – there may be finance to consider acquiring Raheem Sterling from the west London club.
News on a summer signing, bad news, actually. Brighton signed Matt O’Reilly only for his to get injured in the opening minutes of his debut against Crawley. Fabian Hurzeler speaks: “It’s a bad injury, he needs ankle surgery and I can’t say how long he’s out. We will support him and try to get him back fast on the pitch. He’s a good character, and is a really positive guy. It’s really important to stay mentality strong and I am certain he will come back stronger from this.”
Kepa loaned to Bournemouth
Done deal: Kepa Arrizabalaga has joined Bournemouth on loan, after signing a contract extension, thus reducing Chelsea to a mere 114 goalkeepers.
Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has signed a one-year contract extension and completed a season-long loan move to #PL side Bournemouth.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 29, 2024
“We are delighted to bring a player of Kepa’s calibre to Bournemouth,” chief executive Neill Blake said. “We were aware of his availability and were keen to take the opportunity to bring him to the club on loan. We believe he will be an exciting addition to our talented goalkeeping department.”
Preamble
Good morning. Friday 11pm draws near, and desperation takes hold among some clubs, while others are looking for the deal to complete a decent summer. Some deals we expect to complete – or fall apart:
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Federico Chiesa: Juventus to Liverpool
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Manuel Ugarte: PSG to Manchester United
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Romelu Lukaku: Chelsea to Napoli
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Aaron Ramsdale: Arsenal to Southampton
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Scott McTominay: Manchester United to Napoli
And many many, more. Let’s find out, shall we?