Premier League: Man City finalise deal as Man Utd edge near Zlatan

Michael Lintorn
30 June 2016

More Man City signings are expected between now and the start of the Premier League season

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It isn't just Man United and Chelsea getting active in the transfer window, with Man City, Barcelona, Newcastle and Bournemouth making progress...

"It looks like Mooy won't get into the first team straight away based on this and will probably have to settle on a temporary stint away, so it's hard to tell how much this deal will affect Pep Guardiola's 3.711/4-rated quest to win the Premier League at the first attempt."

Manchester United have moved closer to signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic, with the charismatic forward confirming the 20-time Premier League champions as his next employers on Instagram.

Chelsea are also rumoured to be on the brink of bringing in Michy Batshuayi and these two potential deals are dominating the gossip columns.

However, some big transfers have either been finalised or pushed close to completion already this week and this is what we are going to focus on now in recapping some of the most noteworthy moves...

Aaron Mooy (Melbourne City to Manchester City)

The 25-year-old Australian is seen as a serious prospect in his homeland, but this move to the Citizens will have come as a surprise. However, they have brought in players from Down Under before, usually loaning them back out to their homeland.

For example, Luke Brattan and Anthony Caceres are currently on the books at the Etihad, but will be moving to Melbourne this summer.

It looks like Mooy won't get into the first team straight away based on this and will probably have to settle on a temporary stint away, so it's hard to tell how much this deal will affect Pep Guardiola's 3.711/4-rated quest to win the Premier League at the first attempt.

Samuel Umtiti (Lyon to Barcelona)

Javier Mascherano is naturally a midfielder, but has been required at centre back by Barcelona for a number of seasons.

The decision to sign a more natural defender will be a big boost for the Catalans as it means the Argentine can move forward if necessary, while they will still have extra cover at the back.

Umtiti made the France squad for Euro 2016 and is highly thought of in his homeland, having already played 131 Ligue 1 matches despite only being 22.

The La Liga winners missed out on the Champions League crown last term but, by making solid investments such as this, they will greatly improve their 4.3100/30-valued chances for 2016/17.

Dwight Gayle (Crystal Palace to Newcastle)

The 25-year-old struck four times in three League Cup outings in 2015/16 and has shown an eye for goal on occasion.

Unfortunately, he has not been consistent for the Eagles during his time at Selhurst Park, his best league campaign saw him strike seven times, while he has also had to contend with limited opportunities.

The Englishman only started eight top-flight matches this season, despite Palace not boasting a wide array of attacking talent. Dropping down a division may be beneficial for Gayle, as well as Newcastle, and the Magpies are 3.052/1 to win the Championship.

Nathan Ake (Chelsea to Bournemouth on loan)

The defender impressed during his spell with Watford last term, so may be feeling disappointed that he isn't being given a chance with the Blues. He was the youngest player to average over three tackles per game in the Premier League, managing a total of 3.3.

The Cherries let in 67 top-flight strikes in 2015/16, so some extra defensive stability has to be seen as a positive. They face Manchester United on the opening weekend and are 4.84/1 to cause an upset.