10 transfers that can still happen – Merino’s Arsenal switch to Ivan Toney move

The summer transfer window is still buzzing with activity, and there is likely to be many more deals done before the deadline on Friday, August 30.

Kylian Mbappe’s move to Champions League victors Real Madrid kickstarted another summer of spending. In the Premier League, Tottenham broke their club-record fee to sign Dominic Solanke for £65m from Bournemouth, while Manchester United went about constructing a new defence almost from scratch with the signings of Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui.

Chelsea pulled off a coup by securing Pedro Neto from Wolves. And their transfer activity has been nothing short of chaotic, following the further arrivals of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Filip Jorgensen, Omari Kellyman, Aaron Anselmino, Renato Veiga, Caleb Wiley, Marc Guiu and Tosin Adarabioyo – while it appears Joao Felix is set to return imminently too. More Premier League signings are expected over the next week or so – not just at Chelsea – and Daily Star Sport considers 10 transfers to look out for that may well happen.

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Victor Osimhen

Victor Osimhen is rumoured to be another piece in Chelsea’s incredibly costly and crowded puzzle, reports the Mirror. The 25-year-old has reportedly fallen out with his current club Napoli, who slipped to a 10th-placed finish last season after clinching the Scudetto the previous campaign.

The main reason the striker hasn’t moved yet is his transfer fee, believed to be around £100million. Only the Blues and Paris Saint-Germain are interested parties who could potentially afford him.

While it seems unthinkable that Todd Boehly would splash out another £100m, if the Blues can offload some of their current squad, such as Romelu Lukaku – who could be Napoli-bound as a replacement for Osimhen – then Stamford Bridge may soon be home to a new star striker, even on a loan-to-buy deal.

Mikel Merino

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Despite the delay, Mikel Merino’s move to Arsenal still looks promising. The Spanish international has been identified by Mikel Arteta as the perfect addition to his midfield, with the aim of pairing him up with Declan Rice.

The main obstacle to overcome is the transfer fee, as personal terms have reportedly already been agreed upon. The Spanish club are holding out for £30m, but with Merino’s contract set to expire next year and him being 28 years old, the Gunners are hoping to negotiate a lower price.

The deal may also hinge on Arsenal raising funds through player sales, with Nottingham Forest target Eddie Nketiah and Aaron Ramsdale – subject of an approach from Wolves – both potentially moving on soon. If the Merino deal does go ahead as expected, Arteta will have another asset in his quest for the league title.

Ivan Toney

The departure of England striker Ivan Toney from Brentford seemed inevitable this window, with the Bees reluctant to let their star player’s contract run down, which would see them lose him on a free transfer next year. However, much to Toney’s disappointment, there has been minimal serious interest from Premier League clubs, sparking the prospect of a lucrative move to the Saudi Pro League instead.

With Tottenham having already splashed out £65m on a new striker, Chelsea favouring Osimhen and Arsenal showing no interest, the responsibility of fulfilling Toney’s dream move to a top English club may fall on United. A £35m bid and lucrative contract was offered by Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli, but Brentford rejected that. And if the Red Devils are to show their cards before the window shuts, Erik ten Hag’s side will likely need to better those terms.

This could prove challenging unless there are more potential departures at Old Trafford. However, with Rasmus Hojlund sidelined for the start of the season, a Red Devils swoop for Toney could still happen.

Marc Guehi

Marc Guehi’s high-profile move to Newcastle has turned into a proper transfer saga. The Magpies’ defence, particularly at centre-half, has been severely depleted heading into the new season.

With Sven Botman out until Christmas after tearing his ACL back in March and Fabian Schar receiving a straight red card in the opening 1-0 victory over Southampton, a player like Guehi is desperately needed.

The England defender, who shone at Euro 2024, has been the subject of four bids from Newcastle up to now – the latest amounting to £65m including add-ons – but Crystal Palace have remained firm. If Eddie Howe’s side are prepared to cough up the necessary fee on more favourable terms for the south Londoners, then they should finally secure their top target.

Eberechi Eze

Guehi’s Palace colleague Eberechi Eze looks a little less likely to leave this summer. However, he could still potentially make a big move like former team-mate, Michael Olise, who joined Bayern Munich for £47m in July.

While no Premier League club has made a solid move for Eze, Manchester City and Tottenham were rumoured to be interested over the summer. However, with Spurs already splashing out on Solanke, it leaves Guardiola’s City as the sole contenders right now – and a bid for Eze seems logical. Oscar Bobb is set to be out of action for several months after breaking his leg in training, and Julian Alvarez has left for a whopping £82m.

Despite bringing in Savinho, who was forced off injured at Chelsea on Sunday, City might still feel the need to find a replacement for Alvarez and could target Eze. A potential snag in any deal is the expiration of the Englishman’s release clause.

The 26-year-old had a £60m clause in his contract that would’ve allowed any club to pay the fee and start talks with the player. However, this clause expired earlier this month, so it’s unclear how much it would now cost to lure Eze away from Selhurst Park before next Friday.

Jarrad Branthwaite

Jarrad Branthwaite seemed destined to become a United player this window after the Red Devils singled him out as their top centre-back target to begin with. Yet, disagreements over his valuation with Everton saw the deal fall through.

Everton are reportedly holding out for closer to £70m, while United’s second offer of around £50m was never increased as United turned to other options. In an unexpected twist, Branthwaite’s name has been linked with arch-rivals Liverpool, although there’s said to be no contact between the two Merseyside clubs.

Branthwaite’s move to United seems a long shot, considering the £58m splashed on 18-year-old centre-back Yoro and £42m on De Ligt. However, with the young Frenchman recovering from foot surgery and Lisandro Martinez’s dodgy injury record, United might still take a late final punt on Branthwaite before the window closes.

Viktor Gyokeres

While it’s doubtful Arsenal will now bring in a striker this summer, there could be some shuffling that sees a new No9 arrive – and Viktor Gyokeres is perhaps the most likely contender. The Sporting CP frontman is no stranger to English football, having steered Coventry to the Championship play-off final in 2023. He’s also reportedly up for grabs for much less than his £86m release clause.

For the Gunners to bankroll a move for the 26-year-old Swede, they’d have to offload some key players, namely Gabriel Jesus and/or Eddie Nketiah. The duo could rake in up to £90m – enough to bag Gyokeres’ services.

It seems highly unlikely at this stage that Jesus is sold after the impressive pre-season the Brazilian had, but with less than two weeks left of the window, anything’s possible.

Federico Chiesa

Federico Chiesa has been publicly booted out of Juventus’ squad by new gaffer Thiago Motta and a host of Premier League admirers are reportedly tracking him. Liverpool appear to be a strong contender, having previously attempted to sign the Italian ace, with one historic bid reportedly reaching a staggering £82m. However, a player of Chiesa’s calibre could easily find himself at the likes of Tottenham, Aston Villa, Manchester United or Chelsea.

A ballpark figure of £20m has been thrown around for Chiesa, but a lower offer of £15m might just convince Juventus to let go of their star, who only has a year left on his current contract. The main hurdle for any club interested in Chiesa is his hefty wage demands, which have reportedly forced Juventus to consider letting him go.

Few clubs can afford the rumoured £180,000-a-week that Chiesa is said to be asking for, and this has deterred interest so far. However, there are still many potential moves to be made, and a club may yet swoop in for the Italian if they have the necessary funds.

Raheem Sterling

Raheem Sterling was believed to be part of Enzo Maresca’s upcoming Premier League plans. However, his complete absence from the Blues’ opening matchday squad against his old team City has turned this expectations upside down.

Given his representatives’ statement at the weekend and the 29-year-old’s desire to play regular first-team football, it now seems likely that he will leave Chelsea this summer. Shifting him would be a monumental task, given that he is reportedly one of the highest-paid players in the league and still has three years remaining on his Chelsea contract.

However, Juventus has emerged as a front-runner. If they lose Chiesa, they may need a replacement and could turn to Sterling, who they reportedly showed interest in earlier this summer. Other clubs such as Newcastle and Palace have also been loosely linked with the English winger.

Ilkay Gundogan

Barcelona star Ilkay Gundogan could be on the move this summer after being left out of the Catalan club’s opening La Liga fixture. The German’s return to the Etihad makes a lot of sense and has been suggested.

The 33-year-old spent seven successful seasons at City before leaving last summer to join the Blaugrana. His current deal expires in 2026, and it is unclear what fee would be demanded for the former Citizens captain.

Guardiola’s side will likely face some competition for the German’s signature, particularly from Turkey and Saudi Arabia. But re-signing Gundogan would aid them in their league title fight and provide cover for Euros-winning enforcer Rodri, who has had a long summer.