Anass Salah-Eddine, the 24-year-old Morocco left-back, is joining Panathinaikos on loan from Roma with an option to buy. The deal was agreed on Saturday, with a medical in Athens. A World Cup starter cannot get a minute in Serie A, so why did his exit take so long? Salah-Eddine has never fitted into...

Millonarios announced on Thursday that Juan Guillermo Cuadrado has signed as a free agent, returning the 38-year-old to Colombian football for the first time since 2009. The move closes his European career and fills a right-back hole the Bogotá club opened eight days earlier. The club published its...

Atlético Nacional confirmed on Thursday that James Rodríguez has signed as a free agent, returning Colombia's captain to his home league for the first time since 2008. The 35-year-old joined hours before the country's registration window for unattached players closed. Nacional teased the move all da...

Leeds United have given winger Wilfried Gnonto permission to travel to Italy for a Fiorentina medical, but they will not sign off his exit until a replacement arrives. The 22-year-old is closer than ever to Serie A. So what exactly is blocking him? The agreement, reported on Monday by Gianluca Di Ma...

Celtic want Southampton right-back Yukinari Sugawara before Thursday's Scottish transfer deadline. The Japan international is available and out of favour at St Mary's, yet he is not persuaded that Glasgow suits him now. So what is holding up a deal both clubs appear willing to do? Football Insider r...

Nottingham Forest are working on a late deal for Newcastle United winger Jacob Murphy before Tuesday's 11pm deadline. The move would strip a rebuilding Newcastle squad of its longest-serving player. So why would a club that has already sold its spine let another senior figure go? The story was repor...

Juventus have made a formal offer to Manchester United for the striker Joshua Zirkzee, a €2.5m loan with a €30m option to buy. United want more, and an obligation rather than an option. So why is the player's own preference making that harder? Gianluca Di Marzio reported on Monday that talks between...

Aston Villa have agreed a deal worth up to £30m with Southampton for the centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis. The 24-year-old will sign a five-year contract once his medical is complete. So why are supporters at both clubs unhappy about it? Villa will pay £25m guaranteed, with a further £5m in add-ons...

Liverpool have agreed a verbal deal with Genk for the goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans, worth around €35m, Fabrizio Romano reported on Monday. The 18-year-old will undergo a medical before Tuesday's deadline. So why are supporters angry rather than excited? Brughmans is expected to stay at Genk for the 20...

Feyenoord have agreed to sell striker Ayase Ueda to Lille, with the Japan international due for a medical in France on Monday. L'Équipe reports a fee of about €15m including bonuses. So why is the Eredivisie's top scorer leaving for so little? Ueda is trading Rotterdam for the group phase of the Cha...

Barcelona are close to signing the Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus for around €10m, with a medical booked in Catalonia on Monday. The deal only arrives after a failed pursuit of Julián Álvarez that ended in a formal complaint. So why are Barça still chasing him? Talks between the clubs are advanced an...

Everton have opened talks with Monaco over striker Folarin Balogun, the United States forward whose World Cup red card sparked a political storm. David Moyes needs a centre-forward before Tuesday's deadline. So why might Everton land him for a fraction of his summer valuation? Talks between the club...

Brighton & Hove Albion have signed defensive midfielder Matías Orozco from Deportivo Cali on a five-year contract. The 18-year-old Colombia Under-20 captain moved for an undisclosed fee, and reported figures vary widely. For Cali supporters, one question stands out: why did their club take less than...

Crystal Palace are closing in on Marseille midfielder Quinten Timber, with La Provence describing the move as very close and L'Équipe confirming enquiries. Marseille bought him seven months ago and already want to sell. So why is a 25-year-old Netherlands international on the market again? Nothing h...

Everton have agreed personal terms with Fulham right-back Kenny Tete, Fabrizio Romano reported on Saturday, with only a fee between the clubs left to settle. Fourteen months ago Tete turned down a free move to Everton. So what has changed before Tuesday's deadline? Sky Sports News reporters Vinny O'...

Everton have rejected Nottingham Forest's approach for midfielder Harrison Armstrong, with the board unanimous that the 19-year-old is not for sale, Sky Sports News and The Athletic reported on Sunday. Travelling supporters had spent Saturday chanting warnings against a sale. So what did it take to...

Chelsea have signed Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez from Aston Villa in a deal worth £7.5m, ending his six-year stay at Villa Park. The 33-year-old is expected to start ahead of Robert Sánchez. So why did Juventus decide he was not worth the risk? Martínez has agreed a three-year contract and...

Aston Villa have signed striker Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea, the club confirmed. Aston Villa paid a club-record fee, reuniting him with Unai Emery, the manager he says taught him everything. Jackson had been training away from Chelsea's squad. So why is Villa's record signing a player Bayern chose...

Aston Villa have signed midfielder Leon Goretzka on a free transfer, the club confirmed on Thursday, with the 31-year-old possibly in line to face Arsenal on Monday. He arrives at a club that has sold heavily all summer. So what did this free transfer actually cost? The football pedigree is not in q...

PSV have agreed a deal worth around €9m with NEC for winger Sami Ouaissa, who will sign until mid-2031, Eindhovens Dagblad reported on Sunday. The 21-year-old still needs a medical. NEC spent much of the summer furious with PSV over a previous sale. So how did this one get done? Slowly, and in publi...

AC Milan have reached a verbal agreement with Nottingham Forest to sign winger Omari Hutchinson on loan, Fabrizio Romano and Sky Sport Italia reported on Saturday. Forest paid Ipswich £37.5m for him a year ago. So why is a 22-year-old that expensive suddenly surplus? The structure tells you how badl...

Nottingham Forest have agreed a deal worth around £22m with Crystal Palace for wing-back Daniel Muñoz, with a medical booked and personal terms settled. It is business between two clubs whose dispute is in the High Court. So why are Palace selling their FA Cup hero? The Athletic, BBC Sport and Fabri...

Watford are in negotiations with Myron Boadu, the 25-year-old Dutch striker who left PSV as a free agent, Sky Sports News and Sky Sport Italia reported on Saturday. He watched their 1-1 draw with West Ham from the stands. Why are two Championship clubs chasing a forward nobody kept? Anthony Joseph a...

AC Milan have agreed to send striker Santiago Giménez to Porto on a free loan, Fabrizio Romano reported late on Saturday. The Mexico international cost more than €30m from Feyenoord 18 months ago. So how did he end up leaving for no fee at all? The structure explains the desperation on both sides. P...

Atlético Madrid have given striker Julián Álvarez until Sunday to decide whether he stays or opens the door to Arsenal, Sky Sports reported. The Argentina forward has not trained for days and missed Saturday's game at Sevilla. So why is a World Cup winner refusing the only exit available? Arsenal ha...

Real Madrid have added Roma midfielder Manu Koné to their shortlist before Tuesday's deadline, Diario AS reported this week. The France international only arrives if Eduardo Camavinga leaves first. Camavinga has told every interested club he is staying. So why does Madrid's plan rest on that refusal...

Bradley Barcola travelled to Merseyside this weekend for a medical, with Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain agreeing a deal worth up to £123m for the France winger. It would make him the Reds' second most expensive signing. Yet PSG had not picked him since early August. What changed? David Ornstein o...

Cody Gakpo wants to join Manchester City and talks with Liverpool are now at an advanced stage ahead of Monday’s deadline. The 27-year-old could become the most expensive Dutch player ever. The big question is why Liverpool would sell him to a direct rival. City are reported to be willing to pay clo...

Defensive midfielder Sofyan Amrabat has signed for Ajax on a free transfer until 30 June 2028, a day after his Fenerbahçe contract was dissolved. The Morocco international fills the club's most obvious gap ahead of Ajax against PSV. So why are Amsterdam supporters so divided about him? The deal was...

Casper Tengstedt is on the verge of leaving Feyenoord for Toulouse, with the two clubs agreeing terms for the 26-year-old Danish centre-forward. The move would end a Rotterdam spell that cost roughly €6m and delivered little. So why does the deal still sit uncomfortably at De Kuip? Feyenoord and Tou...

PSV have bid for NEC winger Sami Ouaissa and are closing on Nijmegen's asking price, sources have told ESPN. The champions look set to beat Feyenoord to the 21-year-old. Whether NEC are willing to sell to Eindhoven again is the harder question. De Telegraaf reported on Friday evening that PSV have o...

Ajax have submitted a formal offer for Club América winger Brian Rodríguez, sources have told ESPN, days before the Dutch window closes. The Uruguayan is a leading candidate to replace Mika Godts. Whether América will sell their best attacker now is far from settled. The 26-year-old has played for A...

Union Berlin have signed centre-back Felix Uduokhai from Beşiktaş for a reported 1.5m euros. The 28-year-old German returns to the Bundesliga two days before the season starts. Beşiktaş paid five million for him and had left him out of their plans entirely. Beşiktaş confirmed the permanent transfer...

Augsburg have signed South Korea right-back Young-woo Seol from Crvena zvezda on a contract to 2030. The 27-year-old arrives at a club that finished ninth in the Bundesliga. He is not guaranteed to start, which raises a question about how Augsburg intend to use him. The club did not disclose the fee...

Barcelona have completed the signing of goalkeeper Dominik Livaković from Fenerbahçe. The 31-year-old Croatia international is not expected to play for the club this season. He was bought for a job that only becomes vacant when Wojciech Szczęsny's contract expires in June 2027. Fenerbahçe receive tw...

Rangers signed winger Minsu Kim from Girona on Thursday for a reported £8.5m, making him their second most expensive signing ever. The 20-year-old South Korean has barely played senior football. Girona did not want to sell him, which explains how the deal was actually done. Kim has agreed an initial...

AC Milan winger Rafael Leão must choose between Aston Villa and Galatasaray, with his representatives meeting both clubs on Thursday. He has been left out of Milan's squad for Friday's game. His own coach has all but said the 27-year-old should move on. Galatasaray already have an agreement with Mil...

Fiorentina have rejected Nottingham Forest's opening bid for right-back Dodô, whose full name is Domilson Cordeiro dos Santos. Forest offered around 7m euros on Wednesday; Fiorentina want at least 10m. With the deadline on Tuesday, the question is who blinks first. Sky Sport Italia, via TuttoMercato...

Crystal Palace have agreed a deal for Club Brugge centre-back Joel Ordóñez, snatching him from Aston Villa. The 22-year-old Ecuadorian is injured and will not play for weeks. Palace are still committing around 30m euros, which raises an obvious question about the risk. The structure is a loan with a...

Ajax have signed right winger Viktor Tsygankov from Girona on a contract running to 30 June 2029. The 28-year-old Ukraine international cost only a few million euros, far below his reported release clause. The reason lies in how badly his final weeks in Spain went. Spanish and Dutch reporting puts t...

Chelsea are in advanced talks to sign Atalanta defender Honest Ahanor before Tuesday's deadline. Personal terms with the 18-year-old are already agreed. The unusual part is that Chelsea have not yet decided whether he would join the first team or go straight out on loan. Club-to-club negotiations ar...

Sporting Kansas City signed midfielder Owen Wolff from Austin FC on Wednesday. The 21-year-old cost a record cash fee for an MLS under-22 player, yet he has no goal contributions this season. That gap between price and production is the story. Austin receive $4.5m guaranteed plus up to $3.1m in perf...

Valencia have agreed a deal with Girona for right-back Arnau Martínez, who completed his medical on Wednesday. The 23-year-old joins a team that has taken one point and scored no goals in two LaLiga matches. The unease is obvious, because Valencia already had two options in that position. The packag...

The San Jose Earthquakes acquired central midfielder Eduard Löwen from St Louis City on Wednesday in an intra-league trade. The 29-year-old German joins a side that has not won since July. His departure has angered St Louis supporters, who cannot understand why a thriving team let him go. St Louis r...

Coventry City signed centre-back Ethan Pinnock from Brentford on Wednesday. The 33-year-old Jamaica international agreed a three-year contract at a club back in the Premier League after 25 years. He barely played last season, so the length of that deal invites questions. Coventry paid £5m plus £1m i...

Newcastle United signed Spanish defensive midfielder Nico González from Manchester City on Wednesday. The 24-year-old replaces two departed midfielders and takes the number six shirt at St James' Park. His arrival puzzles some observers, though, because City chose to sell a player they once treasure...

Ipswich are close to an agreement with Bayer Leverkusen for midfielder Exequiel Palacios after an improved offer worth €27.5m, The Athletic reported on Tuesday. He would be a first in the club's history. So what makes him unique? Ipswich have proposed €22.5m plus a further €5m in add-ons for the 27-...

Couhaib Driouech has left PSV for Celta Vigo. The winger signing a four-year contract on Tuesday evening. His move to Rangers had collapsed a fortnight earlier over his fitness. So what did the Scottish club see that nobody else did? Driouech travelled to Spain on Tuesday with the paperwork already...

Feyenoord have made enquiries about FC Groningen goalkeeper Etienne Vaessen, Voetbal International reported on Tuesday evening. Groningen show little appetite for selling with the Dutch window shutting on 2 September. So why might Feyenoord be relaxed about that? Feyenoord are still searching for a...

Al Hilal are pursuing Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli and are in talks with his camp, The Athletic reported this week. Arsenal want around £60m and have left him out of every squad this season. So what changed? No agreement has been reached, but discussions are live on two fronts. Al Hilal are neg...