Transfer deadline day: Raheem Sterling joins Arsenal on loan; Chelsea close in on Jadon Sancho

Most of Europe's top flights conclude their business before this weekend

The transfer windows in the top five leagues has come to a close but after a tepid transfer window, deadline day went off with a bang. Raheem Sterling is expected to end up on loan at Arsenal on loan from Chelsea, per reports, while Jadon Sancho is on the verge of joining Chelsea from Manchester United on loan with an obligation to buy. Both moves can be announced after the close of the window as long as they were completed in time. 

Shuffling underperforming English wingers could somehow end up being what puts Arsenal over the top in chasing Manchester City for the Premier League title.  The Blues have had a busy day chasing Victor Osimhen but were unable to come to an agreement for the Napoli man.

With that not happening, it leaves the Nigerian in a sticky place due to the relationship with Napoli deteriorating and his replacement being signed in Romelu Lukaku. Osihmen isn't expected to be part of Napoli's squad but the Saudi Pro League since transfer window doesn't close until Monday, so who know what could still happen. 

U.S. men's national team goalkeeper Matt Turner was on the move as well, joining Crystal Palace on loan a backup keeper with the defense improving all around. 

Manchester United also completed a deal for Manuel Ugarte to improve the midfield but to finance it, Scott McTominay needed to be shipped to Napoli. Moves like that show what the Premier League profit and sustainability rules mean in order to balance incoming transfers with profits made by clubs. Erik ten Hag now has an improved team searching for a return to Champions League soccer.

Other notable moves

• Nick Markanich: The Charleston Battery forward will be heading to La Liga 2 side CD Castellon, chasing the USL Championship scoring record with 24 goals in league play, per Tom Bogert. His next goal will tie the scoring record while any remaining ones will become a new record for the 24-year-old. He won't head to Spain until January in order to finish out the season with the Charleston Battery.
• Ivan Toney: This isn't done yet but all signs point to Toney heading to Al Ahli in Saudi Arabia from Brentford, per reports. It still has additional time to be completed since the Saudi Pro League transfer window is still open.
• Maxence Lacroix: Crystal Palace have probably had one of the best transfer windows of any Premier League team completing a move for Eddie Nketiah and also keeping Marc Guehi in the side. 
• Jay Stansfield: The Fulham striker is on te way to Birmingham City in a record-breaking move for a team in League One. The last bid to Fulham from Birmingham was for reportedly an eye-watering £10 million but it's likely going to cost more than that. Starting for Birmingham City last season in the Championship, they wanted him back and got the deal done.
• Johnny Cardoso (kind of): In Giovani Lo Celso heading to Real Betis from Tottenham, the London club will have an option to buy Cardoso in the future for $33 million or a sell-on clause for the American if they choose not to sell him. It's an odd deal considering Cardoso may never play a minute for Tottenham but it does help get maximum value for Lo Celso.

[Aug 30, 2024 at 6:26 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

Giovani Lo Celso returns to Real Betis

Giovani Lo Celso has officially swapped Tottenham Hotspur for Real Betis, returning to the club Spurs initially signed him from 2019. The deal was in the works for a few days and completed before the deadline, but of intrigue to USMNT fans -- this is where Johnny Cardoso's potential future transfer to Spurs stems from. Now Spurs are on the clock to see if they actually want Cardoso, but no answer is imminet.

[Aug 30, 2024 at 6:01 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

Pencils down

If a deal hasn't been completed by now, it will require a deal sheet at this stage. Some things like Raheem Sterling to Arsenal and Jadon Sancho to Chelsea are entering the final stages but there is more out there that we'll update you on once it's completed.

[Aug 30, 2024 at 5:51 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

Crystal Palace get their striker

Eddie Nketiah has joined the side on what has been a busy deadline day for the Eagles. Leaving Arsenal, the English striker will provide help for Jean-Philippe Mateta atop the lineup. In defense not only will Marc Guehi be staying but Maxence Lacroix will also be bolstering the defense. There's still a deal to complete for Matt Turner to become Crystal Palace's backup goalkeeper but if everything comes through, it will be a very different side to end the window than it was to start.

[Aug 30, 2024 at 5:45 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

Wilfried Zaha moves to Lyon

Lyon have officially signed Wilfried Zaha on loan from Galatasaray, likely the final move in a very busy summer from the French club. It's been a chaotic and somewhat confusing summer in terms of strategy for Lyon, exemplified in their back-and-forth 4-3 win over Strasbourg earlier today. The move, though, does make sense if you ask Zaha's accountant -- Leicester and his ex-club Crystal Palace were interested in a loan deal but a transfer back to the U.K. mean he would have incurred tax liabilities upon returning to his home country, per The Athletic.

[Aug 30, 2024 at 5:31 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

No move for Victor Osimhen

Victor Osimhen is sticking around at Napoli, with several reports calling an end to a months-long transfer saga that's evolved but has also been fairly quiet. He inched close to a move to Saudi Arabia's Al-Ahli, reaching an agreement earlier, booking a medical and offering to play Osimhen around $33 million a year, per Fabrizio Romano. That deal has now been called off, though, with Al-Ahli instead seeming to opt for Brentford's Ivan Toney.

Osimhen was also linked to Chelsea this week but a deal never really materialized and so he will stick around at Napoli this season. Few would have predicted this end to Osimhen's summer months ago -- he seemed destined to move as one of the top strikers on the market, but few high-profile clubs expressed serious interest during the window.

There's still potential that he will move to Saudi Arabia in the coming days but it's most likely he will stick around in Italy, though he may not be part of Antonio Conte's plans and might not train with the first team as a result.

[Aug 30, 2024 at 5:19 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

Is Sterling also moving now?

According to Fabrizio Romano, Raheem Sterling's move to Arsenal is reaching the closing stages. With the Blues getting Jadon Sancho, it'll now give Sterling a chance to compete with his former club Manchester City for the Premeir Leauge title. It's unknown how Sterling will fit into Mikel Arteta's side but during a long season, a team of Arsenal's caliber needs to be able to have as much depth as possible because anything can happen in a Premeir League season. 

[Aug 30, 2024 at 5:03 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

Fulham to pick up another attacker

More outgoings for Lyon as now this time they'll race the clock to complete a transfer for Ernest Numah. The 20 year old forward scored three goals in Ligue 1 play last season but impressed in Denmark with Nordsjaelland before making the jump. Now at Fulham joining an improving team under Marco Silva, he'll be another key figure in a side pushing for a top half finish.

[Aug 30, 2024 at 4:56 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

Jadon Sancho has a new home

Well this is something, Sancho leaves Manchester United in search of playing time in order to join a Chelsea squad where we're still not sure how all of these players will fit together. Sancho will join on loan giving Enzo Maresca another winger who is good in possession. This is also a move that could help pave the way for Raheem Sterling to Arsenal. 

Chelsea have a lot of priorities as the window ticks closed with Armando Broja and Tervoh Chalobah in limbo on their way out but the Blues seem to have gotten their guy in. Despite having too big of a squad, Chelsea hasn't let it stop them from pursuing the transfers that they would like. According to reports, this deal for Sancho will also have an obligation to buy for £25 that will kick in ahead of next season.

[Aug 30, 2024 at 4:35 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

Manuel Ugarte joins Manchester United

It's official -- Uruguay international Manuel Ugarte has signed for Manchester United, joining the club from Paris Saint-Germain. The defensive midfielder is a big addition for United, who could use help in the position after finishing last season with a negative goal differential and conceding the second-most shots in the Premier League. He's the latest major signing for United this summer, when they also added the likes of Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee to their ranks.

Ugarte has been linked to United since before the Copa America, where he impressed and earned a spot in the team of the tournament as Uruguay finished in third place. The deal, though, was put on hold as United and PSG disagreed over a price but earlier this week, the pair reached an agreement to clear the way for Ugarte's move.

[Aug 30, 2024 at 4:10 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

Done deals around Europe

The window may have shut a couple of hours ago in Italy, but some deals that were completed before the deadline are now starting to become public knowledge. Scott McTominay is officially a Napoli player after leaving Manchester United, while Tammy Abraham has officially made the move from Roma to AC Milan.

Meanwhile in Spain, where there are still two hours to go until the window closes, Arnaut Danjuma has made the move from Villarreal to Champions League side Girona.

[Aug 30, 2024 at 3:27 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

Auston Trusty moves to Celtic

After being relegated from the Premier League to the Championship, Auston Trusty is heading to Scotland to be part of an American-led defense alongside Cameron Carter-VIckers. Taking part in the Champions League together, there is a chance that this move could help the USMNT prospects of both players moving forward. The 26-year-old will sign a five year contract with Celtic as he looks for more USMNT caps.

Celtic manager, Brendan Rodgers said: "We are so pleased to sign Auston and he is a really welcome addition to our squad.He is a quick, strong, athletic defender with great ability and good experience and a player who has done really well to make his way to the USA national squad."

[Aug 30, 2024 at 3:09 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

Not a transfer but Reggie Cannon is now a free agent

The American right back's contract has been terminated by mutual consent at the club. After being sued by his former club Boavista for wrongfully terminating his contract, Cannon is now liable to damages for the Portuguese club. It has been a messy situation due to Cannon leaving because of not being paid wages by the club but due to how he left it put both him and QPR into a sticky situation. Cannon was successful while playing for QPR but now we'll have to wait and see what his next step is.

"He joined at a time when the football strategy was ultimately in a different direction and both parties felt, in the end, it made sense not to continue the adventure together," QPR said in a statement. "We wish him all the best for the future."

[Aug 30, 2024 at 2:54 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

Trevoh Chalobah to join Crystal Palace

Chelsea are about to get one of their many players off the books -- Trevoh Chalobah. He's about to complete a loan move to Crystal Palace with no obligation to buy, but per The Athletic, Palace did pay a loan fee. He was one of several players reportedly training away from the first team, which currently stands at 44 players, but Chelsea hope he won't be the last outgoing player today. Many are still keeping an eye on Raheem Sterling, the most high-profile player exiled in recent weeks.

[Aug 30, 2024 at 2:39 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

A record deal incoming in League One

As Birmingham City looks to get back to the Championship, they're closing in on a record purchase for a League One club chasing Jay Stansfield. The striker was leading the line for Birmingham last season and for him to return from Fulham it will cost around £10 million to secure his services. It's quite a sum of money where if Birmingham doesn't secure promotion, they could be in financial hot water. For teams in England, it has been clear that they need to spend to make it to the top but at what point is that spending out of hand?

[Aug 30, 2024 at 2:16 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

And today's weirdest deal is…

…Johnny Cardoso's potential future transfer to Tottenham Hotspur from Real Betis. The structure of the deal is just as clunky as it sounds, so here's an explainer.

Cardoso's name is popping up because Tottenham are set to offload Giovani Lo Celso to Betis in a deal that is set to be completed before the deadline. In exchange, Spurs have picked up what Fabrizio Romano describes as a "priority option"to buy the USMNT midfielder in the future. Per GiveMeSport, Spurs have a fixed fee of $33 million should they choose to sign Cardoso. If they don't, though, they will reportedly have a sell-on clause.

The only winner so far in this weird agreement might be Tottenham, who will either answer a need in their squad or make money on a player who never even played for them. If Cardoso ends up leaving Betis for the price Spurs agreed to, though, the Spanish club would be making quite the profit — they reportedly signed him for $6.3 million last winter.

[Aug 30, 2024 at 1:40 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

Everton bolsters their midfield

It has been a poor start to the season for the Toffees conceding seven goals in their first two matches played but Lyon's squad shuffling could be their gain. According to Fabrizio Romano, the midfielder is joining Everton on loan. Selling Amadou Onana to Aston Villa has left a void at the base of Everton's midfield and the experience of Mangala will help offset that. He has Premier League experience with Nottingham Forest and has also been through relegation battles before. These are both things that will be important in Everton's quest to avoid relegation. 

[Aug 30, 2024 at 1:32 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

Carlos Soler getting closer to West Ham United

It has been a busy summer for the Hammers and even deadline day has seen the moves flying. Maxwel Cornet seems to be heading to Southampton and James Ward-Prowse is headed to Nottingham Forest. Those moves could open the door for Carlos Soler to join the club from Paris Saint-Germain. He's reportedly taking his medical to join on a straight loan without an option to buy. The midfielder will again improve West Ham's depth as the London club are putting together quite the tidy summer.

[Aug 30, 2024 at 1:04 pm ET · Chuck Booth]

More moves coming for Chelsea?

Ipswich Town were in talks to sign striker Armando Broja from Chelsea but the two clubs were unable to come to an agreement. Now with only five hours remaining in the transfer window, there's a chance that something could happen here according to Fabrizio Romano. After adding Joao Felix, Broja is even further down the Chelsea depth chart than he was when the season started but he could offer the Tractor Boys a much needed boost atop the XI as they look to avoid relegation.

[Aug 30, 2024 at 12:32 pm ET · Jonathan Johnson]

Why did PSG not replace Mbappe?

One of the big questions of this summer's transfer window was whether or not Paris Saint-Germain would replace Kylian Mbappe after his free transfer move to Real Madrid. The answer to that depends on how you look it with Luis Enrique happy to have an attacking lineup mainly featuring Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembele, Goncalo Ramos, Randal Kolo Muani and Marco Asensio. There is an argument to say that PSG are a bit light in terms of central options while the Portuguese hitman is out injured and especially after the UEFA Champions League draw handed the French giants a tricky League Phase. 

However, there is also an argument to say that Les Parisiens are a bit more balanced now and their streamlined approach means that they do not have one man too many most of the time as they seemed to with Mbappe. Ramos remains a top marksman in his own right despite a tricky start to last season and the former Benfica man did outscore Mbappe over the second half of last campaign when Luis Enrique started to build Paris towards a future without the French superstar. Kolo Muani has had a tougher time but no longer feels like the odd man out while Desire Doue's arrival has enabled Dembele to move more central as was his penchant last term. 

Barcola is now the undisputed starting option on the left with Asensio and sometimes Kang-in Lee supplementary options in the attacking third. With the midfield looking healthier than ever, PSG can claim to boast a squad which finally makes more sense than some of its previous iterations have. It might be light on star power which is not ideal for Ligue 1's attractiveness, but that could equally make the French champions a sleeper pick to have a good season with so many already writing them off after their UCL draw and the loss of Mbappe. 

There might be one or two utility additions in defense -- possibly even just a full-back capable of playing centrally -- but otherwise this Parisien outfit might actually be better off for not leaping into the market once Mbappe left. Only time will tell, of course, but PSG have started the campaign well and will go to Lille this weekend looking to continue their 100% winning start to the year before the international break with a few peripheral figures such as Milan Skriniar and Danilo Pereira on the move before Saudi Arabia shuts its doors.

[Aug 30, 2024 at 12:27 pm ET · James Benge]

Nelson in the lurch

With Arsenal's hopes of signing another wide forward fading (but not faded), Reiss Nelson looks very unlikely to get the move he has been wanting all summer long, according to CBS Sports sources. Ultimately that is not just a matter of Arteta needing to keep intact what is left of his forward line but ultimately because the market has not really been there for him. Leicester had a concrete interest for a time but the financial package proved to be beyond them. Nelson's wages, understood to be around £100,000 a week, constitute a sizeable commitment for all but the richest of clubs in England, let alone Europe, and ultimately despite talks with a few possible suitors over recent days, no offer has arrived for Arsenal so far.

[Aug 30, 2024 at 12:07 pm ET · Jonathan Johnson]

Green light for Gosens

It feels as if Robin Gosens has been on the move for every summer transfer window these past few years and the Germany international is now set to play for his fourth different club in the past two years with Fiorentina now set to take the 30-year-old back to Serie A from Union Berlin. The Bundesliga was tough on Gosens last season as Union struggled after an impressive UEFA Champions League qualification and now Viola are bringing him back to Italy where he shone with Atalanta for five years before joining Inter which created the period of instability that he has gone through these past two summers. It will be a loan with an obligation to buy of around $8.2 million with a contract until 2028 once the loan becomes permanent.

[Aug 30, 2024 at 11:59 am ET · Jonathan Johnson]

Mbabu to Midtjylland

Fulham have allowed Kevin Mbabu to leave for Danish champions Midtjylland as a free agent with the Cottagers expected to earn 50% of his potential next sale. The Switzlerland international fell out of favor having arrived in 2022 and has struggled to remain in contention for a place in the Nati's plans too. Loan spells with Servette and Augsburg mean that Fulham fans never really go to see the best of the former Wolfsburg and Newcastle man. The Danes will offer Mbabu a solid rebound opportunity plus the chance to play in UEFA Europa League soccer this season.

[Aug 30, 2024 at 11:53 am ET · Jonathan Johnson]

Frenchmen staying put

A few moves that were touted earlier today appear to be off the cards now. Loic Bade, who was a target for Roma after Kevin Danso's move from Lens fell through, is now expected to stay with Sevilla. Elsewhere, Milan entered the race for free agent Adrien Rabiot who left Juventus this summer but the Fance international will remain without a club after the Rossoneri reportedly withdrew. What that means for Ismael Bennacer will be known in the next few hours but it could mean that the Algeria international stays at San Siro. 

Lille OSC's Edon Zhegrova is also expected to remain with his current club after Les Dogues fielded no shortage of interest but eventually qualified for the UEFA Champions League's new-look League Phase. One Fench player on the move, though, could be young defender Joane Gadou from Paris Saint-Germain to Red Bull Salzburg with the 17-year-old on the verge of completing a switch to Austria.

[Aug 30, 2024 at 11:44 am ET · James Benge]

Reinier on the move

Carlo Ancelotti has said all summer long not to expect big business on deadline day. Here's some small business. Reinier, 22, has left the club on loan, joining Granada for the remainder of the season. The attacking midfielder was once considered the next superstar Real Madrid had picked up on the cheap from Brazil but it has not quite worked out like that so far.

[Aug 30, 2024 at 11:26 am ET · James Benge]

Tah confirms he's going nowhere

Earlier this morning we brought you the news that Jonathan Tah, long wanted by Bayern Munich, was set to stay at Bayer Leverkusen. That was not necessarily a favored scenario for the German international, who has moved to smooth over relations with Leverkusen supporters with a quite lengthy statement on his Instagram, which you can read in full below.

"Dear Bayer 04 fans, There has been a lot of speculation about me and my future recently. Some of the backgrounds have not always been presented correctly, but I will definitely go into this in detail in due course. 

"It's true that in the meantime I've also looked at options for a move, but it's now clear that I'll be completing my ten years at Bayer 04! You can be sure that I am very much looking forward to all the challenges with our team, the coaching team and you fans this season. I am firmly convinced that we once again have a really strong squad and can once again make an impact in all competitions. 

"I would like to thank everyone who has accompanied me on my journey so far - I am very grateful to you! But now let's put an end to all the speculation and focus on the 2024/25 season! I promise you that I will give my all this season so that we are successful, just like in the past 9 years! See you at the BayArena - I'm looking forward to it! Your Jona"

A masterpiece of the obfuscation genre, the suggestion that he might have been looking at other options really underplaying what was becoming quite an unpleasant saga for the German champions. Still Tah is staying put and you suspect Xabi Alonso won't be too disappointed to have his defensive anchor in the side.

[Aug 30, 2024 at 11:21 am ET · James Benge]

It's still quiet

When it comes to the two biggest deals of deadline day, we're waiting for that bit of movement. Al-Ahli are pressing ahead with their pursuit of Ivan Toney and it may just be that their hopes of getting Victor Osimhen are fading. One thing seems probable, however, and that is that he won't stick around at Napoli if he can help it.

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 01: Raheem Sterling celebrates scoring Chelsea's second goal during the Carabao Cup Fourth Round match between Chelsea and Blackburn Rovers at Stamford Bridge on November 01, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images) Visionhaus

The prospect of Raheem Sterling staying at Chelsea, however, seems to be growing as time passes. We know that Arsenal have been offered him but there is a long way between that and even putting an offer in, let alone getting a player through the door. Not moving Sterling out would constitute a huge financial hit for Chelsea. His wages equate to around £17 million a year while there is also £28.5 million of the amortized transfer fee still to pay. These are huge numbers for a club right up against the limits in terms of PSR and UEFA's squad cost rules. They need to move him out. But can they find a taker?

[Aug 30, 2024 at 10:56 am ET · James Benge]

Manchester United have 'conversations going on'

We're expecting Manchester United to announce the signing of Manuel Ugarte imminently but could there be more deals to be done? It would certainly be a surprise -- the indication had been that United had invested the last of their budget in a new midfielder -- but with Jadon Sancho potentially heading out there might be a few million to play around with.

That's what sporting director Dan Ashworth hinted at after the Europa League draw. He told TNT Sports:

"There are still a few hours to go, so who knows what will happen but so far we have been really happy with the business we have done in and out."

"We have a couple of conversations going on that's all I can say.

"With the intensity of the Premier League and two domestic cup competitions [the fixture list] does add a little more to domestic teams but we'll be well equipped, we're pleased with the squad and we're ready to go."

[Aug 30, 2024 at 10:54 am ET · Jonathan Johnson]

OM eye Milan's Bennacer

A potential one to keep an eye on is Milan's Ismael Bennacer who is on the market hours away from the cut-off period. Marseille are reportedly one of the clubs interested in the Algeria international to boost their midfield as Jordan Veretout moves towards a move to Stade Rennais after the departure of Benjamin Bourigeaud. Roberto De Zerbi would not be drawn on links with the Bennacer earlier in the day during a press conference and the next few hours could be key given that Atletico Madrid are also keen.

[Aug 30, 2024 at 10:46 am ET · James Benge]

Done deal: Petrovic to Strasbourg

As we told you could happen a while back, Djordje Petrovic has moved on loan without a buy option from Chelsea to their sister club Alsace. The Serbian, who joined the Blues from New England Revolution last summer, played 31 games for Chelsea last summer but Enzo Maresca prefers Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen.

[Aug 30, 2024 at 10:24 am ET · James Benge]

Done deal: Barrenchea joins Valencia

It's been pretty quiet on the actual confirmed deals front but here's one of interest. A few weeks after joining Aston Villa in the Douglas Luiz deal with Juventus, Enzo Barrenchea is off to Valencia on loan. The other player included as a makeweight in that deal, Samuel Iling Jr., is already back in Italy with Bologna on a temporary basis. This really hammers home how much this transfer was a PSR necessity for Villa, more than a deal that particularly appealed.