The deadline has arrived and for many Premier League clubs it promises to be a hectic end to the summer transfer window.
The future of a number of big stars is uncertain as the show’s 11pm Friday closing time approaches, and many questions still need to be answered before then.
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Here, The Pitch Prospect.com takes a look at the deals to keep an eye on as the clock counts down.
Ivan Toney
Toney’s future was already one of the hot topics before the transfer window opened.
The Brentford striker made no secret of his desire to move to a bigger club and must have expected to have a wealth of options at his disposal following his impressive performance for England at the European Championships.
But despite his involvement with Arsenal, there have been few offers from the Premier League’s top clubs and if Toney were to leave west London, a high-profile transfer to Saudi Arabia seems the most likely way out.
Toney has already verbally agreed a three-year contract with Al Ahli worth a whopping £50 million, but a transfer fee has yet to be agreed with Brentford.
The Pitch Prospect understands that the links to Manchester United are completely off the mark, but Chelsea are keeping a close eye on the situation in case the club fail to sign their desired target Victor Osimhen, who is himself being courted by Al Ahli.
Marc Guehi
Newcastle had hoped to have Guehi in a black and white shirt long before this, but this deal will also remain exciting at the last minute.
Palace, whose chairman Steve Parish is determined to negotiate hard, have already rejected many offers from the Magpies, especially after Guehi cemented his reputation with his outstanding performances for England in Germany this summer.
Newcastle sporting director Paul Mitchell was optimistic late last week that a deal was getting closer, but The Pitch Prospect has since learned that Palace have increased their asking price to over £70 million after selling centre-back partner Joachim Andersen to Fulham.
If they cannot get Guehi, Mitchell could well go after Chelsea defender Axel Disasi or Mohamed Simakan of RB Leipzig.
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Jadon Sancho
Although he has reconciled with manager Erik ten Hag, it is quite clear that Sancho has no future at Old Trafford after being left out of Manchester United’s squad for the first two Premier League games this season.
As The Pitch Prospect reported earlier this week, Juventus were the most serious suitors for the England international – after Federico Chiesa was sold to Liverpool for £12.5 million – but there remains an issue over the Italian giants’ reluctance to include an obligation to buy in any potential loan deal.
Chelsea admire Sancho, but any move to Stamford Bridge would depend on him taking a pay cut and United being willing to sign one of the Blues’ unfancied players, such as Raheem Sterling, who earns £300,000 a week. The Red Devils have already rejected a move for Ben Chilwell.
Bayern Munich and Sancho’s old club Borussia Dortmund are other possible destinations on the deadline.
Kingsley Coman
It has been a relatively quiet summer at Arsenal; their only new signings for the field were Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori and Spanish midfielder and Euro 2024 winner Mikel Merino.
Mikel Arteta has so far resisted pressure from Gunners fans to sign a new striker, but it has been clear for several weeks that he would be interested in signing another winger to ease Bukayo Saka’s workload.
Arteta is a big fan of the lively Nico Williams, but it is virtually impossible to get him away from Athletic Bilbao so late in the transfer window.
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Another open option is Kingsley Coman from FC Bayern Munich, who has been informed that he can leave Bayern.
Given a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia, this is unlikely to be an easy deal, but a loan for the French international should still be kept in mind.
Billy Gilmour
Brighton fans were shocked when The Pitch Prospect reported the Seagulls could be willing to cash in on Napoli target Gilmour if they receive an offer in excess of £14 million.
Since then, there has been widespread speculation that a deal is close to being completed, but Gilmour remains a Brighton player and was one of the stars of the club’s 2-1 home win over Manchester United on Saturday.
Manager Fabian Hurzeler is a fan of the Scotland international and Matt O’Riley’s ankle ligament injury means they are in need of a new signing in midfield. However, with Brighton having spent more than £200 million this summer and needing to trim a bloated squad, the situation remains uncertain until deadline day.
Other players who could leave Amex include Tariq Lamptey, Jakub Moder, Yeremy Sarmiento and top earner Mahmoud Dahoud.
John Duran
The Colombian almost moved to West Ham at the beginning of the transfer window, but they were unable to agree on a transfer fee with Aston Villa.
The Hammers are still interested, but it would take a lot of departures to raise the money needed to renew the contract.
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Chelsea also held active talks with Villa in January and early in the summer and are keen to sign a No.9 player before the transfer window closes.
The Blues are still trying to reach an agreement with Napoli and Victor Osimhen, but Duran seems to be a realistic alternative.
Armando Broja
Broja’s move from Chelsea to Ipswich on loan in a £30 million deal to avoid relegation was all but a done deal when a scan revealed problems with his Achilles tendon.
The Albanian international still wants to leave Stamford Bridge after being among the players stripped of their squad numbers and forced to train with the U23s.
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The Pitch Prospect has been told that Everton have cooled their interest, but a short-term offer from newly promoted Leicester, who are on the hunt for more firepower, has not been ruled out.
Southampton also has a historical interest in Broja.
James Ward Prowse
Only a year ago, West Ham paid £30 million to Southampton for their captain, but Ward-Prowse already seems to be superfluous at the London Stadium.
Ward-Prowse is one of several players, along with Maxwell Cornet and Nayef Aguerd, that the Hammers would like to sell.
The England international earns a decent salary, so a loan deal to West Ham that adds to his salary is the most likely scenario.
Interestingly, former club Saints have kept a spot open for a national loan by signing Aaron Ramsdale on a permanent basis, and their boss Russell Martin is a big supporter of Ward-Prowse.
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