Transfer news: Ndiaye to Tottenham, Emi Martinez to Chelsea, Leweling to Roma — every deal before deadline day
The window shuts on Tuesday night. Tottenham and Everton are in advanced talks over Ndiaye and Richarlison, Chelsea have announced Emi Martinez, Roma are pushing for Leweling and PSG are closing the biggest sale in their history. Every deal, done or still moving, league by league.
A little over forty-eight hours to go. The summer window shuts on Tuesday 1 September in Italy, England, Spain and France, and this weekend has produced more movement than the whole of August: a farewell waved from the San Siro stands, the most expensive sale in Paris Saint-Germain's history, a World Cup winner changing clubs in London and a Juventus side that has finally found its midfielder. Here is everything on the move, with the distinction that matters more than ever this week: what is already official, and what is only an understanding between the parties.
The two front-page deals
Leao to Galatasaray. It is the heaviest goodbye of the Italian summer: Rafael Leao leaves Milan for Turkey for 45 million euros, 43 fixed plus two in bonuses, with the Rossoneri keeping twenty per cent of any future sale. The club statement has not arrived yet, but the image that travelled around Italy came on Saturday night: the Portuguese at San Siro, during Milan's game against Venezia, saluting the curva. After seven seasons Milan lose the most recognisable player of their recent era, with less than two days to replace him.
Barcola to Liverpool. In France the number is bigger still. Bradley Barcola is on the verge of joining Liverpool: the agreement in principle is worth around £120 million, with more than £100 million guaranteed to PSG. If it completes it becomes the most expensive sale in the Parisian club's history, above the €90 million received for Neymar. The player is twenty-three, had refused to extend and had been dropped from Luis Enrique's plans; Liverpool have been hunting a wide forward for weeks and never hid it. At Anfield he arrives with the heaviest label that dressing room can offer: eventual successor to Mohamed Salah.
The deals already official
In England Chelsea announced Emiliano Martínez this morning: £7.5 million to Aston Villa and a three-year contract for the goalkeeper who won the World Cup in 2022 and finished runner-up with Argentina this summer. It is the Blues' answer to Robert Sánchez's errors, and for Villa it is the last piece of a summer in which they have already lost Morgan Rogers, Ezri Konsa and Youri Tielemans. There has been one major arrival, though: Nicolás Jackson came in from Chelsea for £65 million.
In Italy Saturday brought a burst of announcements. Atalanta brought Franck Kessié back to Bergamo after nine years, a free agent from Saudi Arabia on a three-year deal. Torino completed the signing of goalkeeper Lucas Perri from Leeds on loan with an option, and saw Pedersen leave for Olympiacos. Milan sent Samuele Ricci to Como, Napoli loaned Folorunsho and Ngonge to Monza, Bologna took Theate back on loan and Inter sold Asllani to Al Jazira. And Cagliari and Sassuolo completed a double swap on loan: Sebastiano Esposito to Emilia, Ciervo to Sardinia.
Serie A: what is left to settle
Juventus have solved the problem that had dragged on for weeks. After Kessié said no and chose Bergamo, they turned to Tottenham and are closing in on Pape Matar Sarr. The defence is still open: the Nicolás Tagliafico idea, currently at Lyon, depends on Juan Cabal leaving, and it is Atalanta who have opened talks for the Colombian. Juventus tried to sign Miranda from Bologna offering Cabal plus cash, and were turned down; for now the defender would rather stay.
Roma are the busiest club of all. They have an understanding with Atalanta for Marten de Roon, with Neil El Aynaoui heading to Leipzig to make room, and a deal with Marseille for defender Balerdi. Up front they want a winger: for Jamie Leweling they offered Stuttgart five million on loan plus thirty-five as a conditional obligation, forty in total, and were rejected by a club that values him at fifty. In parallel they have agreed personal terms with Lyon's Malick Fofana, though the French club want around forty million. On the way out, Fulham have asked about Soulé.
The rest of the Italian picture: Milan have agreed to let Santiago Gimenez join Porto and are closing the arrival of Hutchinson from Nottingham Forest on loan, Fiorentina have all but signed Njie from Torino for sixteen million plus two in bonuses, Venezia have a verbal agreement with Juan Jesus, released by Napoli, and Sassuolo have secured Caleta-Car from Lyon. The most contested name remains Newcastle's Woltemade: Napoli are pushing for a loan and are said to have the player's approval, but there is no agreement with the Magpies, and Juventus are waiting behind.
Premier League: Grealish's return and the Ndiaye talk
England's hottest deal involves Jack Grealish, whom Manchester City are willing to let go. Everton lead the race, and it would not be a first: he already played at Goodison Park on loan last season, two goals and six assists in twenty-two appearances before a serious injury. Sunderland tried to gatecrash with a loan offer but the player made clear he prefers Merseyside, and the Black Cats have switched to Marseille's Igor Paixão at around £30 million.
The other story is the one running hardest in England, and it has moved in forty-eight hours. Tottenham and Everton are in advanced talks, but over two separate deals rather than a swap: Spurs have approached Everton for Iliman Ndiaye, who has turned down more than one new contract at Goodison, while Everton want Richarlison back and are believed to be ready with an attractive offer. The Brazilian is one of three players who asked to leave London before the deadline, alongside Kevin Danso and the same Pape Matar Sarr now heading to Juventus, as Roberto De Zerbi confirmed. Nothing is official, and it is worth remembering that on Friday David Moyes denied any contact at all, saying his club were in no hurry to sell their best players. Manchester City also had Ndiaye on their list, with Everton valuing him at £80 million.
The window closes while the season is under way
What makes these days unusual is that it is all happening with the leagues already running. In Serie A today brings Napoli-Como at 18:30, then Cagliari-Inter and Lazio-Genoa at 20:45, with Lecce-Roma and Atalanta-Bologna closing on Monday, where Kessié could already be on the bench.
In the Premier League, Chelsea and their new goalkeeper play today at 15:00 in Chelsea-Brighton, Manchester United-Ipswich follows at 17:30, and on Monday night a rebuilt Villa host Arsenal in Aston Villa-Arsenal. In LaLiga, Real Madrid host Málaga at 17:00, while Barcelona close the round against Rayo Vallecano on Monday.
What to expect between now and Tuesday
The final forty-eight hours are historically about loans, free agents and chain deals, where a club only buys once it has sold. Three chains are worth watching. Milan's, who without Leao and without Gimenez need at least one forward in two days. Juventus', stuck on the defence until Cabal's exit unlocks. And Napoli's, who to land Woltemade must convince a Newcastle side that currently does not want to sell.
Every match prediction stays updated until kick-off on our Serie A, Premier League and LaLiga pages, while goalscorers, shots and assists for individual players are in the Player Predictions section. In a week like this the usual rule counts double: wait for the confirmed line-ups, because a name on this morning's team sheet can be somewhere else by Tuesday night.
