Transfer news: Omorodion Chelsea, Zubimendi Liverpool

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We can now confirm that it is ‘here we go’ for three major deals, with Julian Alvarez set to join Atletico Madrid from Manchester City in a deal that would be a record fee for them. However, the deal has only been made possible by the fact that Samu Omorodion is now set to leave Atletico to sign for Chelsea.

Omorodion will be a new Chelsea player – the verbal agreement is done and we are just waiting for the formal steps. Atletico Madrid receive £35.4m and although they rejected a bid for Omorodion earlier in the summer and wanted to keep the player, they changed their stance when they saw the opportunity to sign a fantastic striker in Julian Alvarez.

But then again, Conor Gallagher was also a key part of the domino. Technically it was a separate deal, but it was part of the discussion. Gallagher was always the main target in midfield for Atletico and for Diego Simeone, and last night he flew from London to Madrid to become a new Atletico player in a €42 million deal.

For Chelsea, this is an important sale because of Financial Fair Play conditions, but also because they had not yet agreed a new contract with Gallagher, so they were afraid they would lose the player on a free transfer next summer.

So, Atletico sign Alvarez and Gallagher, and Omorodion to Chelsea is also done, with this crazy domino finally coming to an end. There was a lot of tension on Tuesday, the deal seemed in jeopardy, but now everything is verbally agreed and we are just waiting for the contracts to be signed.

As for Omorodion’s medical, he is now at the Olympics, so everything is being planned taking into account that he has to play an Olympic final. As for the impact of this deal on other strikers, there is no news yet about Victor Osimhen, while for Marc Guiu we can confirm that a loan is a possibility that is being assessed internally – Enzo Maresca will also have a say in this.

Another major deal is the ‘here we go’ for Dani Olmo to Barcelona. An agreement has been reached with RB Leipzig for a deal worth €55 million, €7 million in tricky add-ons, such as if Barca win the Champions League in the next six years. But the deal is definitely done and Olmo has been in Barcelona to undergo his medical.

So, Olmo to Barca is a done deal and it is their first signing of the summer. They may not be finished yet, because they are still thinking about Joao Cancelo, they are just waiting to understand how they can make it happen with Financial Fair Play. It is still early days, but Cancelo hopes to join Barca and is waiting for Barca.

The deal is not done yet, but the contacts are still ongoing. We are waiting to see if Barcelona and Manchester City can reach an agreement, or if Cancelo will go to another club. The plan is still for Cancelo to leave Manchester City.

We also know that Barcelona wanted Nico Williams, so is this saga over yet? It will officially be over when Williams officially announces his decision. He is certainly back at Athletic in a fantastic mood now, while Athletic remain relaxed and confident that he will ultimately stay. But it is also the case that Barcelona are still alert to the situation and continue to call Williams’ agent daily.

A big story yesterday is about Martin Zubimendi’s future – Liverpool are working on it, Liverpool are working on a deal to sign the midfielder from Real Sociedad. His buyout fee is €60 million, so it’s an expensive deal, but Liverpool want to go big with it – they think they can reach an agreement with Sociedad or trigger the clause, so they are very optimistic.

Liverpool are now working on the player side, because many clubs have tried to convince Zubimendi in the last few years – Barca, Bayern, Arsenal, many clubs have spoken to the player, he was not enthusiastic about the transfer, but now Liverpool are going very big. They are using the ability of their directors to convince the player, present the contract proposal and find a way to get the deal done.

There are ongoing contacts with both the player and the club. Liverpool want Zubimendi and they are confident and optimistic that it will happen, while there are still steps to be taken in this story to make it happen. It is also important to make clear that Arsenal never negotiated for Zubimendi this summer, while I have not heard anything concrete about Man United so far.

Let me say that would be a fantastic signing, because Zubimendi is a special midfielder, his football brain is different, top, top category. He may not be as well known in Europe as some of the other bigger names, but we have seen his quality in the Champions League and also with the Spanish national team – what he does regularly is fantastic.

That’s not all for Liverpool, as I expect them to be busy in the market in August. So for now their focus is on Zubimendi, but more names could come in for Liverpool soon.

Manchester United are still busy and keeping contacts active for Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui. Despite the links with Denzel Dumfries, their main target at right back is Mazraoui because he is a player who can also play on the left and because he is known to Erik ten Hag.

One crucial detail, however, is that Man United are still waiting for Aaron Wan-Bissaka to leave the club. This is the stumbling block at the moment, with United patiently waiting for the player to give the green light to West Ham, or perhaps find another solution.

However, United’s focus is on De Ligt and Mazraoui, and both players are also intent on waiting for United. Ten Hag hopes to have both players as soon as possible, as the start of the Premier League season is now drawing closer, so it will be a key ten days or so as both players wait for the chance to move to Old Trafford.

Also don’t forget that Bayern have an agreement to sign Jonathan Tah from Bayer Leverkusen, so they can complete that deal once they have completed the first sales, so they are just waiting to sell De Ligt and Mazraoui.

Finally on United – Fulham had two bids rejected for Scott McTominay and now it has gone quiet. Man Utd were always asking for £30m so there is a big difference in valuation. There is no agreement now and it seems quiet but before we call it over we have to wait and see what Fulham decide to do. McTominay remains available on the market for around £30m.

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There is still a lot being written about the situation surrounding Eddie Nketiah and Marseille, so I thought I would clarify my understanding of this story here.

As far as I understand Arsenal are open to renegotiating terms with Marseille after initially rejecting a €27m bid and asking for €35m plus a sell-on clause. They may now be open to discussing and negotiating a different structure.

The exact asking price is not yet clear, but the two clubs have been in contact again and Arsenal are open to talks with OM. Nketiah has already agreed on personal terms, so there is no problem there, and it is now up to the clubs to reach an agreement.

Willian Pacho’s PSG move is inching closer as the Eintracht Frankfurt defender flies to Paris for a medical to finalise a €40m deal plus €5m in add-ons. But what does the signing mean for PSG’s other defenders?

Milan Skriniar has always been available on the market, but there are currently no bids or talks for him, it is quiet. Anyway, a left-footed central defender was needed because Lucas Hernandez is injured and Presnel Kimpembe is returning from a long injury, so PSG believe Pacho is an excellent talent with a lot of potential.