Transfer News Update: Man UTD Make Ugarte Breakthrough, Osimhen Major Blow For Chelsea.
We’re now well into the final week of the 2024 summer transfer window and Premier League clubs look set to be busier before it closes on Friday, August 30 at 11pm.
Arsenal are on the verge of making Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino their next signing and they are also in the market for attacking reinforcements
Manchester United are hoping to finally sign PSG midfielder Manuel Ugarte – and their efforts will be helped by the sale of Scott McTominay to Napoli. They are also hoping to ship out Jadon Sancho .
Chelsea, meanwhile, are looking to move on a number of players including Raheem Sterling , who has been linked with Aston Villa and Crystal Palace. The Blues’ pursuit of Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, however, has suffered a blow.
Finally, Liverpool are finally edging towards their first signing of the Arne Slot era with Giorgi Mamardashvili closing in on a move to Anfield.
Chelsea’s attempts to sign Victor Osimhen from Napoli have reportedly stalled due to the striker’s outrageous wage demands .
Chelsea have spent over £200million to sign 11 players in the summer transfer window but still want to add a world-class striker to Enzo Maresca’s squad. Maresca currently only has two specialist centre-forwards available to him Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu. And neither are considered to be up to the desired standard, despite the thumping 6-2 win over Wolves on Sunday.
Osimhen has been a long-term target for Chelsea and is desperate to leave Napoli this summer. The two clubs have now agreed a £38m deal to send Romelu Lukaku to Naples to become Osimhen’s replacement – but there is an issue when it comes to the Nigeria international.
Antonio Conte has got his wish by signing Lukaku for £25m (€30m) plus up to £13m (€15m) in add-ons. However, he could be left burdened with Osimhen, despite freezing him out of the first team in an attempt to speed up his exit.
That is because Osimhen is demanding £500,000 per week to join Chelsea, according to The Sun . The eye-popping figure would make him the highest-paid player in the Premier League and put him way above Chelsea’s current highest earner Raheem Sterling , who pulls in £325,000-a-week.
Eddie Nketiah is being strongly linked with a move away from Arsenal this month after falling down the pecking order at the Emirates and the player is keen on joining Crystal Palace , according to Fabrizio Romano.
Nketiah’s camp have already held talks on personal terms and is “fully expected” to leave Arsenal in the coming days, the transfer guru added.
He said that there were more clubs interested in the forward and that the situation was “open”. Nketiah made just ten starts in the Premier League last season, managing five goals as he featured 37 times in all competitions. He has made 168 appearances overall with the Gunners, netting 38 goals.
The sale of McTominay comes as a major boost in the pursuit of Manuel Ugarte, who is United’s primary transfer target for the remainder of the window. Paris Saint-Germain have been driving a hard bargain for the Uruguay international, demanding £51m for his services United have been reluctant to meet that asking price, simply because they can’t afford it after making four other signings this summer. McTominay’s sale will open up a place in midfield and provide funds to sign Ugarte, who has been frozen out at PSG and wants to leave for Old Trafford.
The latest reports suggest that United signing him on a season-long loan with an obligation to buy is the most likely outcome. Ugarte has already agreed personal terms, so it is just the transfer fee holding things back now.
