Ten Premier League transfers that could happen before the window closes - featuring Chelsea, Arsenal & Man Utd

We’re into the last week of the transfer window and fax machines that have sat gathering dust for months will be whirring into life across the nation as Premier League sides look to strike deals ahead of the deadline on midnight, 30 August.

Few teams in the English top flight have finished their business for the summer, and there are a great many deals waiting for dominoes to fall or asking price to be lowered – so to make sure you’re firmly in the loop, we’ve rounded up the latest on ten of the biggest deals that are likely to get done before the start of September.

Victor Osimhen to Chelsea

This one feels as if it’s been rumbling on for years – the Nigerian striker’s transfer request has yet to result in a move and while Chelsea have enquired, the towering asking price (believed to have started at well over £100m) has proven to be a sticking point, even for such a free-spending side.

Watch The Premier League Panel on Shots! TV now as our experts look ahead to this season's relegation battle.

The move may hinge on a deal being agreed to send Romelu Lukaku (who is, as it stands, a Chelsea player once more) to Napoli, but that’s proving to be a tricky transfer to nail down as well – and Chelsea and Osimhen have yet to agree personal terms, if reporting from Italy is to be believed. There is still a lot of work to do to make this deal happen and it’s very possible that the Blues will look elsewhere in the end, but don’t be surprised if the negotiations draw a lot of headlines over the next seven days.

Ivan Toney to Al-Ahli

A stark decision seems to stand before the 28-year-old England striker – he can stay and play out the last year of his contract at Brentford and remain a Premier League player, or move to Saudi Arabia for generational wealth but risk falling off the footballing map. Of course, it isn’t entirely his decision, and it’s claimed that Al-Ahli are hoping to pay rather less than the Bees’ £50m asking price.

There may yet prove to be a third way. Toney has been linked with clubs like Chelsea and Arsenal before and if they can’t get a hold of their first-choice targets up front (like Osimhen…) then they may come back in for Toney and provide what will likely be a more attractive option. Either way, the decisions made over the next week will have significant ramifications for both Toney and Brentford.

Ferdi Kadioğlu to Brighton & Hove Albion

Quite a few sides have been linked with the rampaging Turkish full-back after his impressive performances at Euro 2024, but while Brighton seemed to have taken the lead there have been stories suggesting that Manchester United could try to hijack the deal at the last minute.

Nevertheless, reports in the Turkish media suggest that no bid has arrived from Old Trafford and the real hold-up is that Brighton and Fenerbahçe are haggling over the fine details of the payment schedule. The fact that the Seagulls loaned Valentín Barco out to Sevilla strongly implies some confidence that Kadioğlu will be at the Amex before too long – and Celtic attacking midfielder Matt O’Riley could well follow.

Manuel Ugarte to Manchester United

United may not be bidding for Kadioğlu but they certainly are doing their damnedest to sign Paris Saint-Germain holding midfielder Manual Ugarte. PSG are happy to let the Uruguayan leave after just one season due to concerns over how he fits into head coach Luis Enrique’s schemes, but they are also holding out for more money than United are willing or able to spend right now.

If United can’t knock the price down, then the success of negotiations may depend on the Red Devils’ ability to offload unwanted players like Scott McTominay, who could join Napoli. They’re likely to try anything they can to get their man, and other potential incomings are likely on hold until Ugarte gets over the line.

Marc Guéhi to Newcastle United

You’ve got to give Crystal Palace some credit – they really do stick to an asking price. All summer, they’ve been fielding calls from optimistic Newcastle executives mentioning gradually increasing figures before patiently telling them that Guéhi costs £75m, hanging up the phone and waiting for them to come back with another, slightly larger offer. Wash, rinse, repeat.

It sounds like Newcastle are just doing the final checks on whether they really, really want to blow the budget on one player before they just suck it up and pay full whack. If they do give it the green light, then this will be one of the biggest deals – from a financial perspective, at the very least – of the entire window.

Raheem Sterling to… Somewhere

After playing a full part in pre-season, it seems to have caught Sterling rather by surprise to be dumped from Chelsea’s first-team squad right at the beginning of the season, and he and his camp are working overtime to find an escape route, with the club all too happy to help shift his £300,000 per week wages.

There are reports in Italy that he’s been offered to Juventus but Sky Sports claimed that he would prefer to stay in the Premier League, with Aston Villa’s name cropping up in dispatches. The biggest hurdles will be financial, but he will certainly hope he can find a new home rather than spend a year rotting away in the stands at Stamford Bridge. Ben Chilwell is in the same boat – Manchester United have been suggested as a destination, but it’s not clear if the Old Trafford club are keen. Either player could end up almost anywhere.

Kieran Trippier to Everton

Veteran full-back Trippier has been a crucial part of Newcastle’s Saudi-led revolution but at 33 years old and with young buck Tino Livramento taking his starting spot, it seems that the former Spurs and Burnley man wants to leave – and a transfer request has led to interest from Everton.

TalkSport, however, have also suggested that a couple of slightly more lofty sides, in the form of AC Milan and Bayern Munich, could also be interested. Either way, Trippier will very likely have a new employer this time next week.

Carlos Soler to West Ham

Another deal that’s largely been held up by the need for some player sales. Spanish midfielder Soler seemed to be heading towards stardom at Valencia but his career has stalled somewhat at PSG, and West Ham could be the beneficiary – but a reported £20m is required, and there doesn’t seem to be enough left in the kitty.

West Ham will do their best to shift either Maxwel Cornet or Kurt Zouma in order to free up the funds and cap what would, on paper at least, be a very impressive-looking transfer window indeed. The good news for West Ham is that a few pundits believe that PSG would be willing to let him leave on an initial loan if necessary.

Rayan Cherki to Fulham

Cherki is seen as one of the brightest prospects in French football but the 21-year-old winger has a tempestuous reputation and by all accounts Lyon will be pretty relieved to be rid of him – and it may fall to Marco Silva to try and rein him in next season.

Crystal Palace could yet hijack this one, but Fulham have made a bid worth up to £17m which has reportedly been accepted. The problem is that the player is holding out for a more attractive offer, with PSG and Borussia Dortmund both linked with a move earlier in the window. If Fulham can pull this one off it would be a serious coup, but its success may depend on whether Cherki does a little bit of growing up and calming down.

Mikel Merino to Arsenal

After what seemed like an eternity, Arsenal and Real Sociedad have finally agreed terms for Spain midfielder Mikel Merino, who is set to join the Gunners in a deal worth up to £32.6m – and that could be a hugely important move for a club who badly needed to add another midfielder to play alongside Declan Rice.

Elsewhere, Arsenal are still trying to get rid of a couple of unwanted players. Eddie Nketiah looks likely to join Nottingham Forest, Aaron Ramsdale has been the subject of tentative enquiries from Wolves and Bournemouth, and Reiss Nelson can leave too, although there doesn’t seem to be a buyer as of yet.