Real Betis set to sell Fekir, want Ceballos or Lo Celso to replace him (2024)

The latest transfer news

• Man Utd sign Ugarte
• Arsenal sign Sterling on loan
• Sancho joins Chelsea from Man Utd
• Toney completes Saudi switch
• McTominay completes Napoli move
• Nketiah joins Palace from Arsenal
• Ramsdale joins Southampton from Arsenal in £25m deal
• Newcastle target Guehi to remain at Palace – Glasner

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Real Betis are set to complete the sale of midfielder Nabil Fekir to Al-Jazira of the United Arab Emirates in an express deal worth around €7million (£5.8m; $7.7m) including variables.

With this money, plus the high salary that Fekir frees up, Betis are trying to sign Real Madrid's Dani Ceballos or Tottenham Hotspur's Giovani Lo Celso.

It is yet to be seen whether Spurs will green light Lo Celso's departure.

The Athletic previously reported that Real Madrid are listening to "fair offers" for Ceballos, valuing him at around €15m (£12.6m; $16.6m), and initial approaches have not been fruitful.

From the money Betis are receiving for Fekir, €1m will go to the player, as the Spanish club owes him.

"Let's see what money there is to replace him (Fekir)", said coach Manuel Pellegrini yesterday after his side's Conference League play-off second-leg win over Gryvbas.

Arne Slot says he’s not expecting any incomings at Liverpool on deadline day — but a number of the club’s youngsters will be heading out on loan.

Stefan Bajcetic’s loan move to Red Bull Salzburg will be confirmed, while Ben Doak and Kaide Gordon are attracting plenty of interest from Championship clubs.

Defender Nat Phillips is also hoping to secure a temporary move.

There’s been a lot of speculation about Joe Gomez and Caoimhin Kelleher, but they are both training with Slot’s squad at Kirkby today.

Nottingham Forest had a cash plus player bid rejected for Kelleher on Thursday and it would take a much bigger offer to test Liverpool’s resolve to keep the Republic of Ireland international.

Neal Maupay has completed his season-long loan move to Marseille from Everton.

The Athletic reported on Thursday that the two clubs had reached an agreement for the 28-year-old striker, with the deal containing a mandatory purchase option at the end of the campaign.

Everton are set to pocket an initial €6million, with bonuses potentially taking the total package as high as €10m.

Lyon midfielder Orel Mangala, meanwhile, is on Merseyside for a medical today ahead of a potential season-long loan move to Everton. There is no purchase option or obligation as part of the deal. Should the move progress as planned, the former Nottingham Forest player will become the club’s seventh summer signing.

Maupay is unlikely to be the only player leaving Goodison before the deadline. Under-21 midfielder Hamid Djankpata, an academy graduate capped by his native Italy at youth level, is close to joining Serie B side Spezia for an undisclosed fee. The deal is understood to include a lump fee, bonuses and a sell-on.

Under-21 goalkeeper Billy Crellin is one of a number of youngsters who could leave on loan before the deadline after attracting EFL interest.

Arne Slot believes new signing Federico Chiesa has all the qualities to flourish at Liverpool, but the Italian attacker is unlikely to make his debut against Manchester United on Sunday.

The 26-year-old forward completed his move from Juventus for an initial fee of £10 million on Thursday and penned a four-year contract.

However, after being frozen out by the Serie A outfit, Chiesa is short of match fitness and Slot intends to tread carefully with him.

“He will train with us today,” Slot said.

“There is a bigger chance he is not in the squad for Sunday than he is. But if injuries come up in the next two days then we might need him. I don’t expect him to be in.”

More below

Jadon Sancho returned to Manchester United this summer after reaching the Champions League final on loan with Borussia Dortmund. He had made significant strides in restoring a reputation that had been damaged during a challenging spell at Old Trafford.

After mending his strained relationship with Erik ten Hag, it seemed the 24-year-old was back in the manager’s plans and would remain a United player for the 2024-25 season. However, Sancho was left out of Ten Hag’s matchday squad for United’s opening two matches of the league season, and he is available if a club meets United’s asking price.

United’s preference is a permanent departure, with a valuation of around £25million ($32.9m) but, as the deadline draws close, they may yet sanction another temporary switch.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported Juventus and Chelsea were both interested earlier this week. Other suitors could always emerge in the window’s final hours, too.

Mohamed Simakan, the French defender, is heading to Al Nassr to complete a move to the Saudi Pro League.

Simakan, 24, spent three years in the Bundesliga, joining from Strasbourg in 2021, and has won seven caps for the French national team.

To replace him, Leipzig are expecting to complete the signing of one-time Aston Villa target Lutsharel Geertruida, from Feyenoord.

Geertruida, also 24, won the the Eredivisie title with Arne Slot in 2023 and was recently part of the Netherlands' Euro 2024 squad.

Eddie Howe is "hopeful" that Newcastle United will still be able to make signings before the transfer window closes later today.

The Premier League side have made five signings this summer but have also had four bids rejected by Crystal Palace for Marc Guehi.

Howe said: "I don't know currently. There is still time and work going on to see what we can do in the last few hours of the window. While there's time, there's hope.

"I don't think we'll be closed right until the end, in both ways. We're looking for loans for two or three young players. Let's see what happens in the last few hours.

"I'm not going to sit here and say this has been a brilliant transfer window for us. I don't know if expecting (more business) is the right word, but we are hopeful of course.

"When we start out and go into the window, you know there's various parts of the squad that needed looking at, work and needed to improve.

"It's the same wish for everyone working inside Newcastle, we've got to find the right solutions but they've got to be the right solutions. The worst thing we could do is bring in the wrong players, the wrong players could harm us for the future."

Al Ahli have reached an agreement with Brentford for the proposed signing of Ivan Toney.

Toney has agreed personal terms with the Saudi Pro League club, and he is set for a medical ahead of a move abroad.

It is unclear if Toney’s move will have repercussions on Al Ahli’s move for Victor Osimhen, who they were also targeting.

The 28-year-old was not included in Brentford’s matchday squads for their opening Premier League fixtures against Crystal Palace and Liverpool.

Toney has one year left on his current Brentford contract having not signed new terms with the club since agreeing a five-year deal when he joined from Peterborough United in 2020.

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Wrexham’s summer-long search for a striker has ended with the capture of West Bromwich Albion’s Mo Faal.

The 21-year-old has signed a three-year deal with the option for an additional 12 months after the two clubs agreed a fee believed to be in the region of £500,000. West Brom also have a sell-on clause.

Faal spent last season on loan in League Two with Doncaster Rovers and Walsall, his goal against Wrexham in September as Rovers lost 2-1 at the SToK Cae Ras one of 15 he scored for the two clubs.

“He’s an exciting young striker and has had a really good progression in his loan moves in the last couple of seasons,” says manager Phil Parkinson. ‘We’re really looking forward to working with him.”

Faal moved to the UK from Gambia when he was seven years old, and played for Sutton Coldfield Town as a junior before joining West Brom’s academy.

He had loan spells in non-League with Hereford, AFC Telford United and AFC Fylde, while his senior debut for Albion came in August, 2021, as a substitute against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup.

His maiden goal for West Brom came earlier this month in the same competition, as Fleetwood Town knocked the Championship club out in the first round.

Barnsley were among the clubs to have been interested in Faal this summer but Wrexham pounced.

Michael Smith, the Sheffield Wednesday striker, was among several frontmen looked at by the Welsh club, who have now made eight additions since winning promotion from League Two.

Heading that list is record signing Ollie Rathbone, who joined from Rotherham United for a deal understood to be in the region of £550,000.

Kevin Mbabu is set to join Danish champions FC Midtjylland on a free transfer from Fulham.

The Switzerland international has completed a medical and will sign a two-year contract. Fulham will retain a 50 per cent sell on clause.

Mbabu was signed in the summer of 2022 from Wolfsburg for an initial €‎5.5million (£4.7m; $5.8m), rising to €‎7.5m with add-ons. His time at the club immediately ran into difficulty, as despite a few early appearances, he fell out of Marco Silva's plans. He then missed a space in Switzerland's World Cup squad.

The former Newcastle United defender made just six Premier League appearances and one league start, during which he was substituted at half-time. He spent the second half of the 2022-23 season on loan at Servette, in Switzerland, before joining Bundesliga side Augsburg on loan last term.

He was not given a shirt number this season and did not take full part in Fulham's first team pre-season.

Fulham are also hoping to move on Carlos Vinicius, another player who was not handed a shirt number this summer. He has been in talks with Brazilian side Red Bull Bragantino.

Fulham have signed Jorge Cuenca, Sander Berge, Joachim Andersen, Ryan Sessegnon and Emile Smith Rowe during this transfer window. Silva is hoping the club can sign one more player, a winger, before the deadline.

"I'm confident we can get the last player, the last piece, a player for the wide areas of our attack," Silva said yesterday. "We are trying our best to get the right player in."

Brighton & Hove Albion have splashed out nearly £200million ($263.2m) on nine new signings this summer.

Among all the clubs in Europe’s top five leagues, only Chelsea have spent more, having paid out £220m.

It is an unprecedented scale of spending by Brighton, as they try to achieve their aim of establishing themselves as a top-10 club in the Premier League, capable of competing for domestic and European silverware in knockout competitions.

The outlay could yet rise further if they secure the Nordsjaelland striker Conrad Harder, for whom a €20m (£16.8m; $22.2m) bid has been submitted.

But where has the money come from, why are they spending big now and are they taking a financial risk?

Liverpool completed the signing of Federico Chiesa from Juventus for a fee of £10million on Thursday with a further £2.5m in potential add-ons.

The Athletic's transfer experts have been rating deals all summer, and here's a snippet of how Chiesa fared...

Tactical fit — 67/100

Federico Chiesa addresses an important requirement for Liverpool, who have needed someone to be the backup for Mohamed Salah on their right wing for some time.

He enjoyed a solid first full season since an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) knee injury in January 2022 sidelined him for 10 months, scoring nine times in 33 Serie A appearances (25 starts).

It is worth noting, though, that most of his minutes in 2023-24 came in the middle of the pitch, where he either partnered or played instead of Dusan Vlahovic, rather than on the flanks.

Financial value rating: 78/100

A deal of £12.5million appears to be great value for a player who moved to Juventus from Fiorentina in a transfer worth up to £54m four years ago. Turning 27 in October, Chiesa still has much to give as a player and there is hope this could prove to be a bargain signing, but his injury struggles have considerably affected his market value.

Neto is on his way to complete a medical at Arsenal.

A deal has been agreed that will see the Bournemouth goalkeeper spend the season on loan at the Emirates Stadium.

Joan Garcia had been identified by Arsenal as an option to provide competition to No 1 David Raya before discussions stalled over Espanyol's refusal to budge on the player's €30million release clause.

Aaron Ramsdale is set to depart the club in a £25million move to Southampton.

Neto had been Bournemouth’s first-choice goalkeeper and was named as the club’s captain by former head coach Gary O’Neil in February 2023.

He made 32 appearances last season, keeping seven clean sheets.

Leander Dendoncker is in advanced talks to join Anderlecht on loan.

Las Palmas had shown interest in the Belgium international but wages were a stumbling block and discussions remain ongoing with Anderlecht to finalise a loan agreement.

Dendoncker spent the second half of last season on loan at Napoli but made just three appearances in Serie A.

The Athletic reported on Thursday that Aston Villa are unlikely to sign Feyenoord defender Lutsharel Geertruida.

A deal for the versatile defender, who can play in central defence and at right-back, had been a priority for Unai Emery's side, with any bid expected to be worth £30million.

However, as it stands, it is unlikely any signings will be made today, with profitability and sustainability rules at the forefront of the club's thinking.

Any move for Geertruida would have needed to be helped financed by outgoings.

Raheem Sterling is not part of Chelsea’s plans and has not been included in Enzo Maresca’s matchday squads in the Premier League and Europa Conference League.

After being left out of their opener against Manchester City, his representatives sought clarity regarding his future.

Sterling’s contract, which exceeds £300,000 per week and runs until 2027, is a point he wants to address before engaging in talks with interested clubs about a potential move.

The 29-year-old is training separately from the first team and has lost his squad number to Pedro Neto, who joined Chelsea from Wolves earlier this month.

There have been reports linking Sterling to Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, and United, though Villa are not pursuing him, as reported in the Transfer DealSheet.

A player would need to go the opposite way if Chelsea were to proceed with a move for Sancho.

Earlier in the week, David Ornstein reported Sterling was viewed as the most feasible of the candidates discussed. But United would also have to ponder whether the prospect makes financial and footballing sense to them.

While clubs like Arsenal could be appealing due to their location, progress, and stability, and Sterling’s familiarity with Mikel Arteta — having worked with the Spanish coach at City — there’s no indication that anything is developing.

Several high-profile and out-of-favour players are hastily attempting to move before the deadline at 11pm UK time (6pm ET) today.

Some players entered pre-season believing they were part of their manager’s plans but found out they had been frozen out. For others, a move away has been on the cards for months, and they are waiting for the right deal.

The Athletic has selected a number of Premier League players who could make a move today, including Chelsea's Raheem Sterling, Nottingham Forest's Matt Turner, and West Ham's James Ward-Prowse.

Stoke are finalising a deal with Kawasaki Frontale of Japan to sign midfielder Tatsuki Seko.

The 26-year-old is due to complete his medical on deadline day prior to completing the transfer.

The defensive midfielder has been a target of Stoke’s for a number of weeks but his arrival was contingent on other players leaving.

The Championship club is in the process of selling Josh Laurent to Burnley, with the deal close to completion. While both Lewis Baker (Blackburn on loan) and Daniel Johnson (released by mutual consent) have also departed from the midfield on Thursday.

Kawasaki Frontale describe Seko — who has played more than 130 games in Japan’s top division and featured in the Asia Champions League — as “a midfielder who creates rhythm with precise play” who was made vice captain of the team last season. He previously played for Yokohama FC prior to joining Kawasaki Frontale in 2022.

This season — which runs from February to December — Seko has made 25 appearances, assisting three goals.

Liverpool have rejected a cash plus player offer from Nottingham Forest for goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.

The proposed deal, which would have seen Forest ‘keeper Matt Turner move in the opposite direction, did not come close to the Merseyside club’s £25 million to £30 million valuation and they are not looking to sell the Republic of Ireland international before Friday’s transfer deadline.

Forest are considering a number of potential goalkeeper targets but have a long-standing interest in Kelleher having had an approach rebuffed at the end of the January window.

The 25-year-old has made no secret of his desire to become a No 1 after proving himself to be a high-calibre back-up for Alisson at Anfield.

Brighton & Hove Albion have submitted a €20million offer to Nordsjaelland for striker Conrad Harder.

Nordsjaelland are expected to accept the offer, while there is a comparable proposal from Sporting CP.

Harder is a product of the Danish Superliga side Nordsjaelland’s academy, and broke into the first team in 2023.

His contract with the club runs until 2028 after most recently signing fresh terms this month.