Transfer deadline day: Relive the madness of Antony, Aubameyang and that joker Dieng

Editor F365
Antony Arthur Aubameyang

Relive the deadline day madness if you fancy. Here are all the completed deals.

 

23:58: No confirmation from Chelsea on Aubameyang or Zakaria, but guys, they’re done, and so are we. Good night. Thanks for your company.

 

23:56: And hereee’s Willy.

 

23:48: One down. No deadline day heartbreak for Dan James, who completes a move to Fulham on loan. Nearly there, folks.

 

23:46: Four deal sheets. Gnonto, Aubameyang, Zakaria and James for our money.

 

23:39: TWO FULL TEAMS WORTH OF SUMMER TRANSFER SIGNINGS FOR NOTTINGHAM FOREST. 19 before today, and Josh Bowler, Loic Bade and Serge Aurier all now joining. Well done everyone, just a brilliant job all round. Hard lines, Michy.

 

23:34: Feels like Romano is peering through a window at Chelsea. Denis Zakaria and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have both now signed, or are signing their contracts.

 

23:30: Hector Bellerin returns to Barcelona from Arsenal on a free transfer after 11 years away. Nice guy – good for him.

 

23:25: Phil Jones is still at Manchester United by the way, picking up his £4.5m a year like an absolute lad.

 

23:23: Various reports suggesting Leeds made a late bid for Ben Brereton Diaz, but no dice as, like Fulham, they were unwilling meet Blackburn’s £20m valuation.

 

23:19: Southampton really have had a great window. Duje Caleta Car confirmation…

 

23:16: We’re into minute-by-minute Aubameyang to Chelsea updates. He picks up the pen…

 

23:10: Here’s a new one. Leeds have a Here We Go on a new forward. 18-year-old Wilfried ‘Willy’ Gnonto, who came through the Inter youth system, is joining from FC Zurich. After some very brief Googling (give me a break, I’m over seven hours in) he’s ‘the Italian Raheem Sterling’. He’s got 12 goals and ten assists in 74 games for the Swiss side.

 

23:04: Big Jan’s arrived at Aston Villa on loan.

 

23:01: F*** we missed it. Slam – window closed. We’re here a bit longer though. Hurray.

 

22:52: This one passed me by but we did report it earlier. Carlos Vinicius, formerly (and briefly) of Spurs, has completed a £4.25m move to Fulham.

 

22:45: The only one that got away for Nottingham Forest. This presumably means Michy Batshuayi will be staying at Chelsea, the poor sod.

 

22:36: Update on Liverpool’s deal for Arthur. Loan fee is around £4m and they have the option of his permanent signing at the end of the season for £32m, payable over two years. Sounds good.

 

22:30: “Incredible” is right, Fab. Bamba Dieng was expected in Leeds for a medical, flew to Nice instead and has failed that medical. That’ll be your guardian angel, Bamba, my grandmother would say. Well, she wouldn’t say Bamba, that would be odd.

 

22:26: Nottingham Forest incomings matched only by Paris Saint-Germain outgoings. Quite the list…

 

22:23: James Garner joins Idrissa Gueye in signing for Everton today.

 

22:21: Here’s the full story on a couple more Southampton signings. Top transfer window for them. Surely in the winners section of F365’s transfer window winners and losers to come later. Top of the losers? C.R… Nah, I won’t spoil the surprise.

 

22:14: As Sky Sports are now reporting, Aston Villa remain adamant Douglas Luiz is going nowhere. Feels like it would require a daft bid from Arsenal. Come on, lads.

 

22:11: Here he is. Arthur Melo will take number 29 jersey last held by Dominic Solanke. Wear it with pride.

 

22:03: ‘I’m hearing rumours a big Premier League signing is imminent,’ says the BBC Sport blogger. We’ve been hearing things all day. Mainly bullsh*t, and we love it.

 

22:00: This is Arthur Melo, not that anyone didn’t already know. Weird.

 

21:58: Depay’s not going to Chelsea, folks.

 

21:53: Oh dear, Orny. I swear (cross my heart, hope to die) the great man tweeted saying a deal for Douglas Luiz was done. He’s now deleted it, the swine. He’s changed his tune. Sorry, Gooners. #WillFordOut now trending.

 

21:48: Aston Villa have accepted Arsenal’s third bid, thought to be £25m, for Douglas Luiz. Personal terms already agreed and a medical underway in Kensington. #EduOut still trending.

 

21:45: Southampton’s cunning ploy to sign players not quite good enough for Manchester City has worked brilliantly so far, and they’ve got another. Sam Edozie joins.

 

21:42: If the others go through (see below as I don’t want to keep typing them out) this would be the 23rd signing of the summer. Nice one though, we miss Serge Aurier.

 

21:32: Thanks to our resident Sheffield United fan Joe Williams for this. Sander Berge is not going to Club Brugge…

 

21:29: #EduOut is trending in proof that Arsenal fans can never be happy.

 

21:23: Miguel Delaney reckons Chelsea may have left it too late to sign Memphis Depay. Not if Barcelona have (as is reported) agreed to terminate his contract. Time is not of the essence, which is nice to say on deadline day.

 

21:17: Wolves news on Traore. Not that one, though. Bruno Lage’s side have agreed a season-long loan with Metz for Boubacar Traore, with a £9.5m (11m euros) option to buy. He’s a 21-year-old defensive midfielder, FYI.

 

21:12: Green light needed from Leeds as Dan James faces a Dan James-esque transfer deadline day wait having completed his Fulham medical. Leeds looking for a replacement. Hwang Hee-chan, maybe. Don’t put the shirt on, Daniel.

 

21:08: AND ANOTHER. Ainsley Maitland-Niles has joined Southampton on loan from Arsenal. Good for him.

 

21:07: DONE DEAL. Gianluca Di Marzio has just confirmed that Chelsea have exchanged contracts with Juventus over Denis Zakaria. It is a season-long loan with an option to buy for £30m.

 

21:00: Another Nottingham Forest signing as centre-back Loic Bade is confirmed. If (when) Josh Bowler is also announced and with Batshuayi to come we’ve got the two full teams of summer signings. Well done all.

 

20:56: Time to feel sorry for Tiemoue Bakayoko. He’s set to stay at AC Milan to complete the second year of his loan spell, but won’t play. If he features in one more Serie A game the £12m obligation to buy will be activated at the end of the season and Milan don’t want to pay up.

Chelsea and Milan have been in talks to cancel both Bakayoko’s loan and his contract with his agents so he could move to Monza, but it’s come to nothing. The poor f***er.

 

20:50: Another exit for Chelsea as 18-year-old Harvey Vale joins Hull. But don’t fear Blues, he’s joined the loan army having signed a new four-year deal at Stamford Bridge ahead of the move.

 

20:47: The Telegraph claim Arsenal will not make a third bid for Douglas Luiz after their second of £23m was rebuffed by Villa, but Fabrizio Romano claims they’re still pushing hard. Hope that helped, Gunners.

 

20:34: Based on the first half hour at the King Power, Leicester could reallllyyy do with some footballers. They’ve made just one signing this summer, with centre-back Wout Faes joining for £15m from Reims today.

But they’ve reportedly failed in a bid to land Jeremie Boga, with one report saying the player has refused to join the Foxes and another claiming Atalanta wanted an obligation to buy. Either way, it’s not happening.

 

20:23: Imagine this pr*ck being the first guy you’re faced with on your return to London. “I’m back, but I f***ing wish you weren’t”. Anyway, Aubameyang is currently undergoing his Chelsea medical.

 

20:18: Here’s the full story on Michy Batshuayi’s move from Chelsea to Nottingham Forest, who we think need one more for two full teams of summer signings. I don’t mean to brag, but I reckon I could name at least seven of them.

 

20:12: He was linked with Cardiff earlier in the day, was then in talks with West Brom, but Theo Walcott appears no closer to a Southampton exit. Stand down.

 

20:09: Aston Villa have confirmed Leander Dendoncker has joined for about £12m from Wolves. Nothing new on Douglas Luiz, with Arsenal reportedly making a second bid of around £23m and Villa wanting £40m. That’s some distance to close in under three hours. Tick tock, tick tock…

 

19:59: Youri Tielemans has just walked out for Leicester at the King Power Stadium. Unless he’s got his phone in his pocket, he’s not going anywhere.

 

19:56: Memphis Depay has been trending all day as he’s apparently asked Barcelona to leave. Chelsea have been linked but were focused on Aubameyang, until now… With that deal all-but done, AS report that ‘talks have begun’ over a move for Depay. Could be a late one…

 

19:48: Arthur Melo has completed his medical and signed a contract with Liverpool. All the other deets in this story from earlier.

 

19:42: Sky Sports have “just got a message” to say Leeds are “trying” to go back in for Wolves’ Hwang Hee-chan having missed out spectacularly on Bamba Dieng. People on Twitter reckon Leeds have bid £25m for the South Korean. More transfer updates from Twitter people as and when we get them.

 

19:33: Southampton have avoided a West Ham hijacking to complete a deal for Duje Caleta Car, who joins in a permanent deal from Marseille. Fee not clear as yet.

 

19:21: Would you chill out, Forest?

Not for much longer, Carl. Herrreee’s Michy (Batshuayi).

 

19:15: Denis Zakaria has now completed his Chelsea medical, which can’t have featured more than a quick look up and down and a couple of those knee-jerk taps. It will be a season-long loan with the option of a £30m permanent deal. Bit of a whirlwind to get there, but seems like smart business from the Blues.

 

19:09: Fingers crossed for a Youri Tielemans clinic against Man United this evening. That’s right transfer junkies, there’s actual football to enjoy tonight, which you can watch while refreshing this blog every couple of minutes, please and thank you.

 

19:05: Not clear how this Bamba Dieng nonsense affects Dan James’ loan move to Fulham. Surely Leeds can’t let him go without a replacement. The lad must hate deadline day.

 

19:01: Didi Hamann is “not too sure” about Arthur Melo as Liverpool need a “more offensive player who gets them goals from midfield”. He would have gone for Joelinton, who’s scored 14 goals in 123 games for Newcastle.

 

18:49: Wow, this happened fast. Big Dave Ornstein says Chelsea have reached agreement with Juventus to take Denis Zakaria on loan with option to buy. He’s now having a medical with personal terms no problem. He only joined Juve in January.

 

18:43: Martin Dubravka on his strengths having completed his loan move to Man United: “I like obviously making a save…” Get used to that, buddy.

 

18:35: A Zakaria update. Chelsea’s negotiations with Juventus are advanced and the 25-year-old is keen on a move to Stamford Bridge. Fab says things are “progressing well”.

 

18:29: Harry Redknapp’s on the radio and says he nearly signed Patrick Vieira back in the day.

“He was a true legend at Arsenal and he’s willing to come and play here at Tottenham.” We’ve included this for no reason other to irk Arsenal fans, for whom life is far too peachy right now.

 

18:22: More meat on those tasty Bamba Dieng bones. Nice appear to have completed a successful hijacking with Dieng simply not showing up for a Leeds medical. Mr Radrizzani, stay off Twitter on deadline day…

 

18:13: “Chelsea are going on Denis Zakaria,” says Romano. The Blues have just this minute made contact with Juventus and want a loan move with an option to buy. They’ve already failed with a bid for Sangare. Defensive midfield panic stations.

 

18:09: Weird but wonderful story of the day candidate: Leicester moving for five-time Champions League winner Marcelo. The claim was made by a Spanish YouTuber but we are taking it as gospel as one always should when big-haired Brazilian legends are linked with sinking Premier League ships. Anyway, here’s the full story.

 

18:04: And Romano has now confirmed the Toffees have signed another midfielder. It was close yesterday and now James Garner has officially joined from Man United for £15m.

 

18:02: Andre Gomes is travelling to Lille and is expected to complete a move from Everton. The return of Idrissa Gana Gueye will ease that blow, if indeed it’s a blow at all. Gueye trumps Gomes in the bollocks department, we reckon.

 

17:57: #FreePulisic still trending. Chelsea say he’s going nowhere without a replacement.

 

17:51: DONE DEAL and it’s the one Manchester United fans have been waiting for. Martin Dubravka has joined on a season-long loan for £2m, in a deal which includes a £6m obligation to buy if he starts a certain number of Premier League games.

 

17:47: DEAL OFF, or ON, depending on whether you support Leeds or Nice. We’re guessing more of the former. Apparently Bamba Dieng has decided to move to the French Riviera over West Yorkshire. The pale ales won’t be nearly as good.

 

17:44: DEAL OFF. Bryan Gil is not going to Valencia, with Justin Kluivert flying to Spain to become Genaro Gattuso’s new winger. Son of Patrick was linked with Fulham this summer.

 

17:38: DONE DEAL. Paulo Gazzaniga has left Fulham for Girona.

 

17:28: ROMANO TWITCH UPDATE. Three people do an inane quiz loosely based on football while Fab sits on the sofa looking at his phone like the guy at the house party pretending he’s got too much business to do to socialise. He does, to be fair.

 

17:24: A third Chelsea outgoing (they still have so many players) with Dujon Sterling off to Stoke on loan for the season.

 

17:21: A couple of Chelsea outgoings with Ethan Ampadu off to Spezia on loan and Billy Gilmour set for a medical ahead of a permanent move to Brighton, who have got him for £9m. Huge potential; fully expect Chelsea to be making a £50m bid to buy him back in 18 months.

 

17:15: DONE DEAL. Willian will presumably move back into his west London abode as he signs for Fulham.

“I’m happy to be here, I’m happy to be back in the Premier League,” the Chelsea legend/Arsenal flop said.

“Fulham is a special club, a club that wants to improve, that wants to fight for something bigger, so I’m here to help, and I cant wait to get started.”

 

17:12: Having announced Marcos Alonso and Hector Bellerin, Barcelona chieftain Joan Laporta said there would be ‘another surprise for fans’. Apparently that’s Marco Verratti from PSG. Cue Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United fans to throw their hands in the air. Youri Tielemans.

 

17:04: Arsenal still well short on Douglas Luiz. According to Miguel Delaney, Villa want £40m for the midfielder. Maybe we should put Youri Tielemans’ name at the end of every offer for a midfielder other than Youri Tielemans until someone signs Youri Tielemans. Youri Tielemans.

 

16:58: Here’s the full story on Arsenal’s improved bid for Douglas Luiz. The Brazilian wants to leave but Villa reluctant to sell. Again, Youri Tielemans is right there, for the same price.

 

16:52: Awwww, he looks chuffed.

 

16:50: Chelsea have apparently accepted they won’t be able to get a deal done for Arsen Zakharyan, who wants to join the Blues but can’t due to the Russian invasion. Todd Boehly will open negotiations in the hope of getting it done in January, when apparently it will be possible. No idea why.

 

16:45: DONE DEAL. Layvin Kurzawa has joined Fulham on a season-long loan from PSG. The 29-year-old has made over 150 appearances for the French giants, but has played nine minutes since the start of last season. Rusty.

 

16:40: Romano says Ibrahim Sangare to Chelsea is off. No further news on Chelsea midfield recruits.

 

16:37: Hello Forest fans, not hugely surprised to see you here. Josh Bowler from Blackpool is pretty much done for around £5m, and Romano reckons Rennes’ Loic Bade will will be the 21st signing of the summer. He’s a centre-back and was linked with Southampton earlier in the summer. One more for two teams of new players guys, come on.

 

16:31: Various USMNT twitter accounts have got #FreePulisic trending. It has all gone a tad stale for the American at Chelsea and Newcastle could offer him an exit. This is all a bit wishy-washy from Pete Graves, but that’s absolutely what we want and need.

Starts strong with Harrison Ashby ‘talks’ (he’s a 20-year-old right-back from West Ham, by the way), but then a ‘like’ for Youri Tielemans and a ‘mentioned’ for Conor Gallagher and Christian Pulisic.

 

16:23: Romano is clearly getting peppered on social media over De Jong. ‘He DEFINITELY stays at Barcelona’. OK? Good.

 

16:22: Remember the first post of the day? Of course you do. It was all about Fulham having a bid rejected by Blackburn for Ben Brereton Diaz. The Cottagers have gone again, and failed again, with the (we assume) improved offer rejected immediately. So says David ORNYYY Ornstein.

 

16:11: Just turned on the Fabrizio Romano Twitch and I’m pretty sure a waitress wearing a Heineken apron just came and picked up fake bottles of empty Heineken beer. Unless Fab is getting a little tipsy. Stay tuned.

 

16:08: Sander Berge, linked with Liverpool, looks like he will leave Sheffield United, but is off to Club Brugge. But the Reds won’t care, they’ve got their midfielder, with Arthur a done deal.

 

16:01: New blogger in town. Will Ford with you until midnight. Strap in.

 

15:55: Dynamo Moscow have confirmed they received an offer from Chelsea for 19-year-old midfielder Arsen Zakharyan on August 25, but the deal is impossible because British sanctions against Russia are stopping Dynamo from receiving the funds. This saga is far from over!

 

15:50: Back on?! Fabrizio Romano has just said on Twitch that Leicester are one of many clubs to approach former Real Madrid left-back Marcelo. I’m rooting for this one and I don’t really know why…

 

15:48: DEAL OFF! Aston Villa beating West Ham to the signature of Jan Bednarek means the Hammers will not let Craig Dawson sign for Wolves, as per talkSPORT.

 

15:44: What could this mean? Frenkie de Jong getting hypnotised and signing a contract termination in front of a packed Nou Camp?

 

15:32: Arsenal are going back in for Douglas Luiz after Aston Villa rejected their opening bid. This is according to David Ornstein, who says Villa are adamant the Brazilian will not leave. Luiz wants the move. This will be interesting.

 

15:26: Mexican journalist Martin del Palacio Langer says Chelsea and Ajax are ‘very close’ to reaching an agreement for Edson Alvarez. You’ve got to feel for Ajax. At least they are f***ing minted. Unfortunately for Alvarez, his move to Stamford Bridge is ‘non-negotiable’ and he has been told he will not be allowed to leave, as per Mike Verweij.

 

15:23: That was fun while it lasted.

 

15:21: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored 79 goals under Thomas Tuchel at Borussia Dortmund. The pair are due to reunite at Chelsea.

 

15:17: Southampton defender Jan Bednarek will join Aston Villa on loan for the season, as per David Ornstein. Decent deal for the Villans after summer signing Diego Carlos ruptured his Achilles.

 

15:06: Nottingham Forest could make their 21st signing by 11pm. They are linked with Rennes centre-half Loic Bade as well as Blackpool winger Josh Bowler. Forest have had a £4m bid accepted, as per The Telegraph. The Reds were close to signing Bowler in January.

 

14:52: West Ham have submitted a bid of €4m plus €4m add-ons for Torino right-back Ola Aina, according to Gianluca Di Marzio. The Serie A outfit want €6m plus €4m.

 

14:35: Much was being said about Watford’s Joao Pedro this summer. Fabrizio Romano said his move to Newcastle was a done deal, even dropping his famous ‘here we go’, but it fell through. Everton also tried. The Brazilian forward has said he is fully committed to the Hornets and will not leave before tonight’s deadline.

Pedro wrote on Instagram: “I’m very happy here. I love being at Watford and I want to do more with them. I spoke to the Board yesterday and I am fully committed to the club and looking forward to a successful season. Let’s go Hornets.”

 

14:30: Not too relevant, and a lot of folk probably don’t care, but Martin Braithwaite’s Barcelona stint is over. After being booed by the club’s fans for simply honouring his contract, we wish him the best of luck with Espanyol and hope he scores 20 hat-tricks against those Catalan hoodlums.

 

14:26: Newcastle are fielding some calls from Premier League clubs and Watford for Chris Wood, according to the Daily Mail. The Magpies aren’t looking to offload any more attacking players. Deadline day does love to throw up some completely unexpected transfer stories. Beautiful.

 

14:15: Rumours surrounding Victor Osimhen have been surprisingly quiet this summer. The Napoli striker has today been linked with a move to Manchester United, however.

 

14:09: Blimey. Leicester are close to signing five-time Champions League winner and Real Madrid legend Marcelo on a free transfer, according to reports in Spain. This needs to happen.

 

14:07: You don’t see this every day…

 

13:55: Another double here we go? Oh, go on then! Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will join Chelsea and Marcos Alonso will join Barcelona.

 

13:34: Chelsea are obviously close to signing Aubameyang, but another Barcelona forward is also linked with a deadline day move to Stamford Bridge. Memphis Depay has apparently asked to leave the Catalan club with Chelsea a ‘possible destination’ for the Dutch international. This is according to Barca expert Gerard Romero.

 

13:27: With a deal to sign Dan James unlikely, Tottenham are keen on signing Monaco winger Gelson Martins, according to Sky Sports. He is eager to play in England. Furthermore, Bryan Gil will be allowed to join Valencia on loan should Antonio Conte bring in a new wide player.

 

13:24: Oh we do love a double Here We Go.

 

13:11: Fabrizio Romano reports that Leeds are ready to loan out Daniel James to Fulham. What a random deal. You’d think this deal relies heavily on Leeds’ pursuit of Bamba Dieng. The Cottagers will also complete the signing of former Arsenal and Chelsea winger Willian on a free transfer in one of the strangest deals of the summer.

 

13:08: The inevitable has happened. Arsenal are ready to terminate Hector Bellerin‘s contract. Barcelona beckons for the Spanish right-back.

 

13:06: Another one? Another one? Nottingham Forest have signed Willy Boly from Wolves for around £2m. That’s signing number 19 for Steve Cooper’s side.

 

13:03: Aouar you serious? It looks like Houssem Aouar has failed to leave Lyon for the 200th transfer window in a row. Nottingham Forest were reportedly keen.

 

13:00: Fulham have agreed a fee with Benfica to sign former Spurs striker Carlos Vinicius for around £5m. The Cottagers also tried to sign Justin Kluivert earlier this week but a deal is officially off after he failed to pick up a work permit. Cheers, Brexiteers. Son’s crying.

 

12:54: As mentioned prior, Arsenal have made a bid to sign Douglas Luiz and we already have an update on this one. The Telegraph say the Gunners’ £20m bid will be turned down. The player is pushing for the transfer, as per Fabrizio Romano, and Arsenal are expected to make an improved bid.

 

12:51: Southampton’s signing of Ainsley Maitland-Niles is basically a done deal. The Saints are also looking at Ross Barkley, who is a free agent after having his Chelsea contract cancelled by mutual consent earlier this week. Sam Edozie and Juan Larios will join from Man City.

 

12:37: Another one bites the dust. Tahith Chong is set to join Birmingham City from Manchester United on a permanent deal after making a grand total of 16 appearances for the Red Devils’ first team.

 

12:27: There have been lots of reports suggesting Arsenal will bid for Douglas Luiz and now the Daily Mail have said they have done just that. Aston Villa are believed to have received an offer ‘in the region of £20m’ from the Gunners.

 

12:19: With a deal to sign Cody Gakpo off the table, Leeds have turned their attention to Marseille’s Bamba Dieng, as we said a little earlier. The French club have accepted a €10m bid with add-ons included, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Italian notes that the Whites will not sign Hwang Hee-chan from Wolves.

 

12:17: IT’S HIJACK O’CLOCK! TalkSPORT reckon West Ham are trying to hijack Southampton’s capture of Duje Caleta-Car. If this summer has taught us anything, it’s that we love a good hijacking in the transfer market.

 

12:13: Danny Rose is available as a free agent after leaving Watford. Any takers? Anyone? No? Moving on…

 

12:10: There is some surprising interest in Leeds winger Dan James. Tottenham are no longer in the running, but Fulham are…

 

12:03: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is coming back to the Premier League. This should be fun. I’m particularly looking forward to his frontflip over Mikel Arteta when he bags a hat-trick against Arsenal.

 

11:58: Leicester have paid a transfer fee for the first time this summer. Wout Faes joins for a reported £15m from Stade Reims. Jeremie Boga next.

 

11:52: Youri Tielemans looks set to stay at Leicester. See what happens when you don’t kick up a fuss, you don’t get what you want. Take notes, Youri.

 

11:38: Orny, you are making me h… excuse me. Wolves have accepted a bid in the region of £12m from Aston Villa for Leander Dendoncker. This could be great news for Arsenal as they pursue Douglas Luiz.

 

11:34: More from Romano here. He says Mykhaylo Mudryk is expected to stay at Shakhtar Donetsk. They rejected a bid from Everton last week and a bid from Brentford yesterday for the ‘Ukrainian Neymar’.

 

11:28: Random story of the day…

 

11:23: Here. We. Go. Fabrizio Romano has said on his Twitch channel that Arthur to Liverpool is a done deal.

 

11:21: Described as one of the most exciting prospects in Europe, Marseille forward Bamba Dieng is a Leeds target, as per the Daily Mail.

 

11:16: Oooooooooh. How cryptic.

 

11:09: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang‘s move to Chelsea is ‘virtually complete’, says Ben Jacobs. It is noted that Rafael Leao will not join unless the Blues activate his £129.6m release clause.

 

11:06: DEAL OFF! Josko Gvardiol has penned a new RB Leipzig contract after the club rejected a €90m bid from Chelsea. That’s a lot of wonga. The Blues will try again in January.

 

10:58: SO MUCH IS GOING ON. AC Milan could offer Cristiano Ronaldo a way out of Manchester United. This is according to the Manchester Evening News. BLIMEY.

 

10:57: He’s still at Chelsea?! Kenedy is off to Real Valladolid in Spain.

 

10:55: Ibrahim Sangare to Chelsea, anyone?

 

10:49: Orny, Romano, Olley and more… Every single reliable journalist has said Arsenal are going to bid for Douglas Luiz. £20m-£25m is a decent deal.

 

10:35: Standard Sport say Dan James is likely to leave Leeds, but a move to Tottenham is unlikely. Where the hell will he go?! Fulham? Everton? Swindon? Wrexham? Time will tell.

 

10:29: The Hector Bellerin situation is an interesting one. Real Betis have been linked all summer but it appears to be Barcelona who are now leading the race. The player’s representatives are hoping Arsenal will terminate his contract, because that’s what the Gunners do these days.

 

10:21: Another bizarre saga looks to have concluded. Sky Sports are reporting that Anthony Gordon will not leave Everton for Chelsea. Good to see the Blues have come to their senses.

 

10:13: This one just won’t go away. 11pm can’t come soon enough.

 

10:06: Arsenal are willing to pay up to £25m for Douglas Luiz, but Aston Villa have no intention to sell. With less than a year remaining on his Villa contract, this is one to keep an eye on…

 

10:01: DONE DEAL! Manchester City have confirmed the signing of Swiss defender Manuel Akanji from Borussia Dortmund.

 

09:58: Leicester are getting their finger out. Rob Dorsett reports that Reims defender Wout Faes has completed his medical. Atalanta’s Jeremie Boga is now on the agenda.

 

09:48: Good news for Chelsea fans as their club has forced Edson Alvarez to burn his bridges with Ajax. He is trying his best to force a move to Stamford Bridge, as per the reliable Mike Verweij.

 

09:36: Wolves midfielder Leander Dendoncker could be on the move today. West Ham, Newcastle and Aston Villa are reportedly keen. The Belgian will likely cost around £12m.

 

09:30: Manchester United have officially confirmed the signing of Antony for £85.5m. Bargain.

 

09:27: HUGE LIVERPOOL NEWS! According to Gianluca Di Marzio, the Reds will sign Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo on a season-long loan with no buy option included. His medical is booked. This has since been confirmed by Fabrizio Romano. Arsenal fans will be gutted…

 

09:22: Brighton are keen on signing Chelsea’s Billy Gilmour but the Blues are reluctant to let him leave due to their injury crisis in midfield. It doesn’t look like Thomas Tuchel is a huge fan of the player, however. Free my man.

 

09:05: Fabrizio, please. We’re starving here.

 

09:00: Bernardo Silva confirms he will not leave Manchester City: “I’m going to stay at Manchester City. I haven’t received any offers. The decision has been made.”

 

08:53: Aubameyang is not the only player Chelsea are chasing. They have now been linked with PSV midfielder Ibrahim Sangare after reportedly lodging a bid to sign Ajax’s Edson Alvarez.

 

08:45: Newcastle haven’t signed Kylian Mbappe and Neymar yet? Surely today is the day. People don’t make those photoshopped pictures of them in the kit for nothing…

 

08:37: Busy day ahead, Saints fans. Theo Walcott could be on the move with Cardiff City keen. Oriol Romeu is set to join Spanish side Girona. Manchester City pair Sam Edozie and Juan Larios are expected to join, as is Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

 

08:31: It’s probably worth mentioning that Seko Fofana has signed a new RC Lens contract. He has been linked with a host of Premier League clubs this summer.

 

08:25: REJECTED! PSV have turned down Leeds United’s £38.9m bid for Cody Gakpo, according to The Telegraph. The Dutch side seem adamant the young winger will not leave.

 

08:22: Will Arsenal sign anyone? Speaking after his side’s win against Aston Villa last night, Mikel Arteta said: “We are a bit short in that position [midfield], we are looking at options in the market. If the right player is available and we can do it, we will try.”

 

08:12: There is an update of sorts on the future of Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha. Unsurprisingly, he is unlikely to move before the deadline. Chelsea are yet to make a formal approach, claims the Daily Mail.

“I didn’t even put that in my head, I didn’t even ask myself that question,” Patrick Vieira said when asked if he thinks Zaha will still be a Palace player next month. “There is nothing coming from any other club. Wilfried is playing his football, he is enjoying his football and, as a manager or the chairman, there is nothing from anybody.

“We are in a period where there is a lot of things going on in the papers and regarding Wilfried, there is nothing true in that. This is the only thing I can tell you.”

 

08:04: Premier League new boys Fulham and Nottingham Forest are expected to be busy. Fabrizio Romano has confirmed PSG left-back Layvin Kurzawa is close to joining the Cottagers on loan, meanwhile, Rennes centre-half Loic Bade has been linked with a move to Forest by Foot Mercato reporter Sebastien Denis.

 

08:00: IT’S THAT MAN AGAIN! David Ornstein, you beautiful human. Chelsea are close to coming to an agreement with Barcelona to sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for €7.5m, with Marcos Alonso expected to go the other way. For the second deadline day in a row, Auba looks set to move.

 

07.51: It could be a big deadline day for Championship side Watford with Joao Pedro and Ismaila Sarr both the subject of interest. And Football Insider‘s Pete O’Rourke says the Hornets have ‘rejected an approach from Everton’ for Pedro. Only another 15 hours to go, Watford fans…

 

07.48: Can Liverpool fans expect any deals on deadline day? Here’s what Jurgen Klopp had to say last night: “I don’t think so, but as long as there’s time we should not close the door completely.”

 

07.42: A report yesterday insisted that Chelsea had been ‘offered’ Neymar with Paris Saint-Germain looking to avoid breaching UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules. But Sky Sports have poured cold water on that with PSG boss Christophe Galtier ‘very happy with the Brazil international and the feeling is it would take an extraordinary offer to prise him away from the club’.

 

07.37: ORRNNNSSTTEEEIIIINNNN! We have our first big update from the deadline day man himself, David Ornstein. The Athletic transfer man strikes an early blow to hopes that we might see a big deal for PSV Eindhoven winger Cody Gakpo. Leeds United and Southampton have strong interest in the player but Ornstein claims that PSV ‘do not intend to sell today’.

 

07.33:  With West Ham close to sealing a deal for Southampton defender Jan Bednarek on loan, Craig Dawson could be leaving the London Stadium. Reports claim Wolves are in advanced talks for the defender while Aston Villa have also made an offer.

 

07.27: One club are set to make a £20m bid for Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz today, according to reports, with Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool all linked.

But despite Steven Gerrard admitting that Luiz’s future could go down to the wire, The Athletic‘s Villa reporter Gregg Evans says the Brazilian will stay.

When asked about the Luiz situation last night, Gerrard said: “I’m not in control of that. There’s two people, well, there’s more than two people who are in control of that, but I’m certainly not one of them.

“That will be Douglas, that will be his agent and that will be what happens around that. I’d like to keep him, he’s a fantastic player, I’ve made that abundantly clear. We are not in position where we need to lose our top players, but at the same time Douglas has a year to go and it is one of them really touchy situations where the club has to do what is best for the club, not necessarily what is best for me.”

 

07.20: HIJACK ALARM! We have our first possible steal of the day with the Daily Mirror claiming that Brentford are hoping to beat Arsenal to the signing of Shakhtar Donetsk’s Mykhaylo Mudryk. The Bees would have to break their transfer record with the Ukrainian winger rated at £25m.

 

07.15: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Chelsea? This is one rumour we expect to rumble on all day with Fabrizio Romano providing a 3am update on this. Does this guy ever sleep?

 

07.10: We have our first rejected bid of the day at Ewood Park. Fulham have made an offer for Blackburn striker Ben Brereton Diaz – who scored Rovers’ only goal of the game in their 1-0 win over Blackpool on Wednesday night – but the Championship side are not budging. Long way to go for Rovers fans today…

 

07.02: Hello and welcome to our live transfer deadline day blog. Stay with us throughout the day as we bring you all the latest from a (hopefully) busy day of transfer activity…

 

Football Transfer Gossip