The summer transfer window will close on Friday, Aug. 30 and the clock is ticking for several high-profile stars whose future remains uncertain.
Finding a new team can be tricky, for the player and for the clubs trying to arrange a deal, due to contractual issues, wage demands and transfer fees. But the pressure is on to get things over the line in the week ahead. So who are the top players in Europe looking for a new team before the window closes? And whom could they join?
Victor Osimhen (Napoli)
Chelsea are frontrunners to sign Osimhen, but only if Napoli are prepared to accept a season-long loan deal with an obligation to make it permanent next summer. PSG retain an interest in Osimhen, and, although coach Luis Enrique said at the weekend that a long-term ankle injury to Gonçalo Ramos won’t force the Ligue 1 side into a move, the club have yet to replace Kylian Mbappe following his move to Real Madrid.
With Napoli still holding out for a club to trigger Osimhen’s £113m release clause, a move for the 25-year-old Nigeria international looks unlikely at this stage. But with Napoli missing out on European football this season, a creative offer from Chelsea or PSG this week could be the key that unlocks a deal.
Raheem Sterling (Chelsea)
New Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca has told Sterling he has no first-team future at Stamford Bridge and can leave the club this month. But finding a new team will be easier said than done due to the 29-year-old still having three years left to run on a £300,000-a-week contract.
Having signed Sterling from Manchester City for £47.5 million two years ago, the only feasible option for Chelsea to get anywhere close to their money back for the former England winger would be to let him join a Saudi Arabian club. But Sterling has already ruled out a move to the Saudi Pro League due to his family being settled in London.
Juventus and Aston Villa have shown some interest, but Sterling’s wages and transfer fee are likely to rule out a permanent deal. A loan move seems the only realistic option, but Chelsea are unlikely to find a club prepared to take on the entirety of his salary.
Jadon Sancho (Man United)
Both United and Sancho have salvaged a bad situation with a summer rapprochement following a season-long stand-off between the winger and manager Erik ten Hag last year that resulted in the player spending six months on loan at Borussia Dortmund.
But although Ten Hag and Sancho have called a truce that has seen the 24-year-old restored to the first-team squad, United are prepared to offload the player this month after paying £73 million to Dortmund for his services in 2021.
Sancho’s form for Dortmund last season, when he helped the Bundesliga team reach the Champions League final, has created some interest, and Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea are possible destinations.
United want to seal a permanent transfer for Sancho rather than another loan move, but they are facing a significant financial hit to encourage another club to pay a fee and also take on the player’s £250,000-a-week wages.
Ivan Toney ( Brentford)
Saudi Pro League team Al Ahli have made a lucrative offer to Toney but have yet to match Brentford’s £50m asking price for the 28-year-old’s services.
With Toney out of contract at the end of the season, Brentford need to do a deal during this window to avoid losing him for nothing, or for a fraction of his value in January. But while the club are keen to seal a transfer before the end of the month, Toney is considering whether to see out his contract and move as a free agent
Having helped England reach the Euro 2024 final this summer, Toney knows that a move to Saudi Arabia could damage his hopes of playing at the 2026 World Cup. Previous interest from Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United has not progressed this summer, but if Toney delays a move, he could take his pick of some leading clubs in 2025. He must now consider whether the money on offer in Saudi is just too good to turn down.
Marc Guéhi (Crystal Palace)
Newcastle have made four unsuccessful offers to sign the Crystal Palace defender, and the club are now considering whether to make a fifth bid. Palace chairman Steve Parish said earlier this month that any club wanting to sign the England defender would have to offer “superstar money” to persuade the Selhurst Park board to offload the 24-year-old.
Indeed, Palace are holding out for £70m for Guéhi, and now Newcastle might be forced to offload players of their own to free up finances. And with England full-back Kieran Trippier seeking a move away from St James’ Park — Everton are keen on the 33-year-old — another bid for Guéhi could happen if Trippier moves on.
Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton)
Manchester United made two unsuccessful bids to sign the Everton centre-back earlier this summer before moving their sights elsewhere due to a £20m gap in valuations between the two clubs. But although United have added Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt and Lille youngster Leny Yoro to their squad since backing out of a move for Branthwaite, Everton’s precarious financial situation has left the player’s future in the air. Everton value Branthwaite’s transfer at £70m, but former club Carlisle United are entitled to 15% of any future transfer fee, having negotiated that clause when the youngster moved to Everton for £1m in 2020.
Scott McTominay (Man United)
McTominay’s situation at United is key to the club’s transfer strategy during the final week of the window. Fulham and Napoli are both attempting to sign the Scotland midfielder, with United holding out for a fee of at least £25m for the 27-year-old. If United are able to offload McTominay, his status as a home-grown player would enable the club to log any fee as pure profit in their accounts and significantly boost their ability to reinvest the money on new signings.
Ten Hag has said that he is happy for McTominay to remain at Old Trafford as a squad player, but with his contract due to expire next summer, United need to cash in now and might yet lower their valuation to make a deal happen.
Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho, who gave McTominay his United debut, is keen, but that fee would rule out a move unless United lower their demands.
Manuel Ugarte(Paris Saint-Germain)
The PSG midfielder has been a long-standing target for United, but the uncertainty surrounding McTominay’s future has left any deal for the Uruguay international on ice. Having signed the 23-year-old from Sporting CP in a £51m deal last summer, PSG want to recoup their outlay, but United are reluctant to make such a big offer.
A loan deal, with an obligation for a permanent transfer next summer, is the likeliest option, but United would be in a position to make a permanent deal in this window if they can offload McTominay.
There is still the prospect of McTominay staying and Ugarte signing on loan, but United’s preference is to get one out before getting one in.
Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona)
De Jong is United’s Plan B if they are unable to make a deal happen for Ugarte, but they have already discovered that luring the Netherlands international from Camp Nou is a tough task. Ten Hag wanted the former Ajax midfielder to be his first signing at Old Trafford two years ago, but a protracted summer saga ended with the player opting to stay in Spain.
De Jong is happy to remain at Barcelona, but the club’s financial problems, which forced them to allow Ilkay Gündogan to return to Manchester City for free this week, mean further high-profile exits could happen in the final week of the window.
De Jong won’t push to move, but if United fail to land Ugarte, they could test Barcelona’s resolve with a late £50m move for the 27-year-old. He is currently injured and could miss at least another few months.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
The chances of Alexander-Arnold leaving Liverpool over the next week are minimal but not impossible due to his contractual situation. The 25-year-old’s deal expires next June, and he has yet to negotiate an extension. That has left Liverpool facing the prospect of the England international being able to speak to non-Premier League clubs about a summer free transfer on Jan. 1.
Real Madrid have a long-standing interest in him and would be prepared to wait until he enters free agent status, but could Liverpool risk losing such a valuable player for nothing?
If Alexander-Arnold gives any indication that he will not sign a new contract, Liverpool could be forced to offload him now simply to ensure they receive a fee.
