Nine big Premier League transfers that could happen on deadline day - including Chelsea and Man Utd deals

There are mere hours left to go before the transfer window slams shut on the men’s game in England – or, more realistically, gently closes with a faint creaking noise. This has not been the liveliest window on record, with plenty of Premier League clubs having spent all their cash in the summer. There is still work to be done, however, and plenty of deals will get over the line, so we’ve run through the rumours to look at the most likely transfers that will get made by 11pm on 1 February, and run the rule over a few that probably won’t happen, too.

Saïd Benrahma – West Ham United to Lyon

Let’s start in the East End, where former Brentford winger Benrahma has become somewhat surplus to requirements under David Moyes despite being a key cog in the West Ham machine not so very long ago – and Ligue 1 strugglers Lyon see him as the man to revive their flagging fortunes.

The Algerian is the subject of a loan-to-buy bid which would earn the Hammers around £15m, but apparently Benrahma is yet to decide whether he wants to trade benchwarming duties at the London Stadium for a relegation battle in France. We suspect, given the minutes he’s been getting lately, that West Ham will politely nudge him towards the exit door, although reports suggesting that their bid to prise former Celtic forward Jota away from Al-Ittihad has fallen through may yet put Benrahma’s move on ice. A similar move for FC Nordsjælland’s Ibrahim Osman also seems to have collapsed.

Conor Gallagher – Chelsea to Tottenham Hotspur

Probably the single biggest deal that stands a realistic chance of getting over the line before the deadline. Chelsea value their home-grown England midfielder at £60m, but Spurs declined to buy at £40m over the summer – so this may come down to some extremely difficult haggling, especially when Daniel Levy is involved.

The blunt fact is that while Spurs may not want to spend the cash, Ange Postecoglou really wants a new midfielder to bolster his ranks ahead of a big push towards the top four, and Gallagher appears to be his number one choice. This one will likely either quickly collapse on deadline day as it becomes clear that the two parties can’t agree on a price, or go right down to the wire.

Jonathan David – Lille to Chelsea

If, somehow, Chelsea get the money from a potential Gallagher sale more than ten minutes before the deadline, they may well sign a striker. Dominic Solanke has been mentioned too, but Canada international David is also a very serious possibility, with the asking price set around the £40m mark.

If Chelsea can’t shift Gallagher then this one won’t happen thanks to the lack of profit and sustainability breathing room, but that transfer materialises then there’s every chance that Todd Boehly decides to make a very late splash and sign the number nine that Mauricio Pochettino wants, and David is the most likely option. Still unlikely, however, simply because of the practicalities involved.

Armando Broja – Chelsea to Fulham

One last one from Stamford Bridge, whose fax machine may be very busy tomorrow. Sky Sports have reported that Chelsea have rejected Wolverhampton Wanderers’ loan bid for Albanian forward Broja, which makes Fulham his more likely destination – but it all depends on whether they are willing to add a substantial buy clause to a short-term deal.

Chelsea want around £50m for their third-choice striker, which seems like a truly outrageous amount of money for a striker who has struggled for goals since an impressive spell at Southampton a couple of seasons ago – but the Cottagers haven’t really replaced Aleksandr Mitrović since the Serb left for Saudi Arabia, so they may decide to stump the cash up. It seems like too much money to us, but perhaps they can make it an option to buy and back out if needs be.

Facundo Pellistri – Manchester United to Granada

The 22-year-old Uruguayan winger has failed to nail down a starting spot at Old Trafford despite the continuing lack of form of most of his rivals, and now seems very likely to leave on loan, with La Liga side Granada waiting in the wings.

The deal, which had been brewing for some time, appeared to have stalled a couple of days ago but reports suggest it has been resurrected with the forward keen to get some first-team minutes away from United. No word on whether a buy option would be included, but we suspect it won’t be, with United keen to see what Pellistri can do if given half a chance.

Antonio Nusa – Club Brugge to Brentford

With one thrilling young player already unexpectedly joining one of the Premier League’s less gilded clubs after Giovanni Reyna’s move to Nottingham Forest, we may well get another if Brentford decide to press ahead with a £25m deal for Norway international Antonio Nusa, and 18-year-old inside forward who many see as one of the brightest prospects in European football.

A deal had been agreed but has stalled after issues cropped up with the player’s medical, which apparently left the Bees rethinking the amount of money they wanted to spend on a player who seems to have one or two fitness-related red flags. He’s a heck of a player, however, so don’t be shocked if Brentford come back to the table – or if Spurs relaunch a bid for him. Nusa initially rejected a move to North London because he wanted to ensure he got enough first-team action, but he could well be tempted if they’re the only offer on the table.

Adam Wharton – Blackburn Rovers to Crystal Palace

The lavishly-talented young midfielder, who is already one of the most effective engine rooms in the Championship at just 19 years old, will almost certainly complete a move to Palace over the next day or so after Blackburn accepted an offer worth up to £22.5m including various add-ons.

It will be another impressive investment in youth by Palace and could give them the combination of playmaking skills and defensive steel they need to pull away from the relegation battle, and while it will sting Rovers fans to see Wharton leave, the money could pay their current wage bill for the next two years, so turning the bid down wasn’t really an option. Sky have also reported that Luton Town could raid Ewood Park as well, with inconsistent but occasionally unplayable winger Tyrhys Dolan on their radar. Orlando City striker Duncan McGuire, who we had definitely heard of yesterday, seems likely to arrive at Ewood to make up for the losses.

Morgan Rogers – Middlesbrough to Aston Villa

Another young Championship tyro who has earned himself a move to the top tier – Villa will part with £8m for the 21-year-old, with up to twice that amount offered in add-ons. Not bad business for Boro, who only bought him for £1m in the summer from Manchester City.

Rogers only has 14 starts for the Teesside club but has picked up eight goal contributions already, and his versatility means that he offers some competition on both the left wing and through the middle of the field. Expect this deal to be done well before the deadline, assuming there are no problems with the medical.

Ben Godfrey - Everton to Leeds United

One last deal that may well happen - Godfrey barely figures under Sean Dyche and there have been plenty of rumblings that the former Norwich City centre-back could make a loan move to Leeds down in the second tier. Alternatively, there has been a rather more surprising story which suggests that Atlético Madrid could make a bid too, although that remains paper talk for now.

Whether he's playing in the second flight or under Diego Simeone, it's pretty clear that Godfrey doesn't feature in Dyche's plans for the immediate future, so this feels like a move that will happen. Expect a short-term move, likely without an option to buy.