European soccer’s summer transfer window will close on Thursday, Sept. 1, and in the final days before deadline day, clubs in the English Premier League, Spain’s La Liga, Italy’s Serie A, Germany’s Bundesliga and France’s Ligue 1 are in races against the clock.
Manchester United, for example, is trying to finalize a lucrative move for Ajax winger Antony, all while sorting out Cristiano Ronaldo’s uncertain future.
Chelsea, meanwhile, reportedly sent Leicester defender Wesley Fofana to the US for a medical ahead of what appears to be an $80 million-plus move.
As the deadline approaches, Yahoo Sports will track the latest happenings here — with a rundown of the biggest stories below.
Latest on Cristiano Ronaldo
The latest reports surrounding Ronaldo suggest that his agent, Jorge Mendes, approached Napoli about a potential move — but that Ronaldo has since turned it down.
In one proposed deal, Man United would have reportedly sent a nine-figure transfer fee plus Ronaldo, with a large chunk of his salary covered, to Napoli in exchange for 23-year-old Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen. But the deal, for several reasons, appears to be off.
So Ronaldo’s situation is the same as it has been for weeks now. He wants to leave United for a Champions League contender. But no Champions League contender seems to want him.
Will Christian Pulisic leave Chelsea?
After reports of interest from Man United, Newcastle and others, and speculation that Pulisic might want to leave Chelsea for more playing time elsewhere, it now appears that he’ll stay put. The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported Monday that Pulisic and English midfielder Conor Gallagher “are expected to stay at Chelsea, barring a bid for either player that is too good to refuse.”
And this, of course, was always the most likely and most sensible outcome. Pulisic, unlike other players, does not need regular starts to confirm his place in the US men’s national team ahead of the World Cup. And none of his options would have guaranteed him regular starts anyway. Despite playing sparingly in Chelsea’s first four Premier League games, he will get enough minutes as the Champions League and League Cup make the early-season calendar increasingly busy.
When does the transfer window close?
The window closes on Thursday in all the major leagues, but the exact transfer deadline is different in different countries.
In England and Spain, the window closes at 6 pm ET.
In Germany, it closes much earlier, at noon ET.
In France, it closes an hour later, at 7 pm ET.
Done deals
For a day-by-day and club-by-club rundown of all the transfers completed so far this summer in the big five leagues, The Guardian has a comprehensive list.