-
Path clear for PSG to swoop for Napoli ace
-
Safety net leads Spurs to Neto
-
Fulham desperate to turn window around
-
Transfer activity has acutely accelerated in the top-flight in recent weeks, but patience is often needed for the really big swoops, the blockbuster moves that place the media in a spin and get people talking.
Harry Kane to Bayern was finalized in mid-August last year, with Moises Caicedo moving to Chelsea for north of £100m three days later.
So which headline-grabbing switches lie in wait this time out and do we require a magic 8 ball to predict them? Thankfully not when plain old logic can be applied, as well as some reading between the lines.
Victor Osimhen - 3/14.00 to join PSG
Let the rumour mills churn out countless articles hypothesizing Romelu Lukaku joining Napoli, to be reunited with Antonio Conte, while Osimhen heads the other way on loan.
Chelsea are desperate to lower their wage bill and offloading their long-forgotten flop represents the perfect opportunity to do this at a stroke. Inheriting an equally exorbitant salary therefore would amount to terrible business.
Besides, the Nigerian striker's agent called the potential swap 'fake news' this week, describing the scenario as 'fantasy exchanges'.
And we can safely rule out Arsenal stepping into the breach too, the Gunners only having eyes for Viktor Gyokeres. Backing the Swede to move to the Emirates tempts at 2/1.
The smart money regarding Osimhen has him scoring regularly in Paris next term, this despite PSG reportedly cooling their interest in the prolific finisher.
The sticking point is his fee with a €90m bid rebuffed recently as Napoli hold out for the player's €130m release clause to be triggered.
When Lukaku is a done deal expect some degree of compromise on this.
Pedro Neto - 6/42.50 to join Wolves
All reliable reports suggest there will be one more incoming at Spurs in the attacking third, and by every reliable account that player will either be Eberechi Eze or Pedro Neto.
From the outside looking in, it feels like Eze is the most coveted by Ange Postecoglou what with the Crystal Palace winger being on the cusp of superstardom. But then finances come into play, and that ultimately could be the determining factor. After all, it so often is.
Both players are valued at £60m but crucially with Eze that figure is set as a release clause, leaving little to no room to negotiate.
Concerning Neto however, Tottenham believe they can propose an altered payment structure due to the winger's poor injury record in recent seasons.
A lower fee with appearance-based add-ons will greatly appeal to the buying club as they seek to secure the services of a player who carved out nine assists last season from 19 starts.
Morgan Gibbs-White - 5/16.00 to join Newcastle
The Nottingham Forest play-maker has been heavily linked with Aston Villa but bluntly, it doesn't add up. The Villans have already signed Ross Barkley this summer and have Emi Buendia to return. Moreover, John McGinn impressed last season when playing in an advanced role.
Unai Emery may be in the process of beefing up his squad in preparation for Champions League football but Gibbs-White would be one number 10 too many, especially at a premium fee of £60m.
To lean into transfer parlance though, Newcastle fit the bill.
Having resolved their PSR issues by selling peripheral talent, the Magpies now have license to spend and the 24-year-old matches their recruitment profile, being young, English and with a high development ceiling. He was sensational at times last term but will improve further with better players around him.
His ability to play on the right meanwhile is a significant plus, that being a long-term problem area for the top-four contenders.
Back Gibbs-White to join Newcastle
Crysencio Summerville - 3/14.00 to join Fulham
Leeds' biggest worry this summer is not losing their 22-year-old winger. They've had two months to resign themselves to that probability after suffering play-off heartache last May. Summerville is too good for the Championship. The player knows it. Leeds know it. A cluster of interested clubs are well aware of that too.
No, the nightmare scenario for the Yorkshire giants is to receive a bid that comes close to their £40m valuation on deadline day, leaving them with insufficient time to find a replacement.
Time then is of the essence and presently all the chatter puts West Ham firmly in the frame, they being the only club so far to show their hand.
The problem is their hand amounts to a £20m bid and after balancing their books by selling Archie Gray to Spurs, Leeds are in no mood to be low-balled. Even if the selling club budged a little, the difference in valuations feels insurmountable.
Having lost three key players in Tosin, Palhinha and Bobby Decordova-Reid, Fulham are in need of an exciting purchase to put a gloss on their window pain. Signing last term's Championship Player of the Season - a long-standing target of theirs - for around £35m would more than suffice.
Back Summerville to join Fulham