Latest transfer news (2024)

Transfers

• Man United seriously considering move for De Ligt
• Chelsea make bid for Dewsbury-Hall
• Villa complete Maatsen signing from Chelsea
• Chelsea's Hutchinson undergoes Ipswich medical ahead of move
• Joselu joins Qatari side Al Gharafa from Real Madrid

Euro 2024

• Spain teenager Yamal passes school exams at Euro 2024
• Foden to rejoin England squad after birth of third child
• Record 18 cards distributed during Turkey vs Czech Republic

Copa America

• U.S. Soccer 'deeply disturbed' by racist abuse of players
• Why is Copa America being played on small fields?

Watford have confirmed that Canada international Ismael Kone has completed a move to Marseille.

The Athletic reported earlier this week a fee had been agreed between the two clubs in the region of £15million ($19m) including add-ons for the 22-year-old.

Kone is currently at the Copa America with Canada but had indicated to Watford that he was keen to move on. Marseille say a medical will be scheduled for next week.

Kone joined Watford from CF Montreal in December 2022 for a fee in the region of £4m ($5m).

During his 18 months with the club he has made 63 appearances and scored four goals.

The move will see him join former Watford winger Ismaila Sarr in France following his move to the Ligue 1 club last summer.

He is also set to be managed by incoming head coach Roberto De Zerbi after Marseille confirmed this week they have reached an agreement in principle with the Italian to become the new head coach following his departure from Brighton at the end of last season.

Ben Godfrey has completed a move from Everton to Atalanta.

The former Norwich City defender joins the Serie A side after four years and 93 appearances for the Goodison Park club.

The Athletic reported earlier this week that Everton had received a €10million (£8.46m) offer from Atalanta for the 26-year-old; a verbal proposal which fell below Everton’s asking price.

Godfrey was keen for regular game time, however, the club ultimately choosing to sanction a sale in a move that strengthens the club's profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) position ahead of the June 30 accounting deadline.

Valencia have decided not to exercise the option to buy Real Madrid academy player Peter Federico, having already communicated this to the parties.

The winger joined Valencia from Real Madrid Castilla in the winter transfer window with an option to buy for 2 million euros for 50% of the player's economic rights.

His sporting performance has been pleasing but Valencia's difficult economic situation means that the option to buy will not be exercised. The club does not rule out renegotiating the amount later in the summer, depending also on how other operations go.

Another formula being considered is a loan deal, which Real Madrid have ruled out because Peter has a contract until 2025 (he renewed in 2022) and Los Blancos do not want to lose sporting control of the player.

There are more teams following Peter and Real Madrid will look for a destination outside the club with a sale of a percentage of his rights this summer.

Peter made his debut under Carlo Ancelotti in December 2021. His release clause at Madrid is 50M€.

Aston Villa have completed the signing of Ian Maatsen from Chelsea on a six-year contract.

The Athletic reported earlier this month that Villa had agreed a deal with Chelsea to sign Maatsen, with personal terms already in place.

The Netherlands international did have a now-expired release clause which was worth £35million — but only for Borussia Dortmund, where Maatsen spent the second half of last season — and Villa and Chelsea have compromised on a fee just above that figure.

Villa manager Unai Emery is a huge admirer of the 22-year-old and wanted to recruit him ahead of next season as Villa prepare to play in the Champions League for the first time.

West Ham United have rejected Gremio’s offer for Michail Antonio, which is believed to be in the region of £2million.

The Brazilian side are keen to sign Antonio who will soon enter the final year of his deal at West Ham.

The 34-year-old forward has also attracted interest from clubs in Major League Soccer and Saudi Pro League this summer.

The Jamaica international scored seven goals across 30 appearances last season.

West Ham are in the market for a new forward with Youssef En-Nesyri, of Sevilla, and Eyle Wahi, of Lens among their targets.

Hakim Ziyech has left Chelsea for Galatasaray in a permanent deal.

The Morocco international joins the Turkish champions on a free transfer after the conditions inserted into his temporary loan move were met.

He joins on a one-year deal with the option of a further year, Galatasaray said.

Ziyech leaves Chelsea having made 107 appearances and scoring 14 goals after joining from Ajax in July 2020.

Manchester United are seriously considering a move to sign Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich.

The 24-year-old centre-back is viewed as an increasingly viable candidate as United’s efforts to strengthen their back line intensify.

Club-to-club negotiations are yet to take place and there is no certainty the move will happen, however he has emerged as a concrete target.

De Ligt has been on the Old Trafford radar ever since coming through at Ajax, with the long-standing admiration continuing when he joined Juventus in 2019 and Bayern three years later.

United’s interest is matched by that of manager Erik ten Hag, who worked alongside De Ligt as Ajax head coach and would welcome a reunion.

Spain striker Joselu has joined Qatari side Al Gharafa from Real Madrid.

The 34-year-old scored 17 goals and provided three assists in 49 games for Madrid on loan for Espanyol last season, form that saw him make Luis de la Fuente’s squad for Euro 2024.

He previously looked set to extend his stay at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Madrid deciding to exercise their €1.5million option to sign him permanently.

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Ipswich have agreed a deal to sign Abube Onuchukwu on a free transfer on the expiry of his contract at Aston Villa at the end of the month.

The 18-year-old has agreed a two-year deal with the Premier League newcomers and will join the club's under-21 set-up. Contracts have all been completed in addition to a medical to allow the move to progress.

Onuchukwu — a midfielder, who can operate on his natural left side as a centre back or full back — has come through the Aston Villa academy from under-13s and signed a two-year scholar deal ahead of the 2022-23 season.

Over the last two seasons he has made 27 appearances and scored three goals for Villa's under-18s side.

Although interest was shown in the academy player from Championship sides, Ipswich were the preferred destination to sign his first professional contract.

Omari Hutchinson is set to undergo a medical at Ipswich Town after the club agreed a deal worth up to £22.5million with Chelsea for the winger.

The fee is set to be an initial £20m plus up to £2.5m in add-ons, and would include a sell-on clause, making it a club record transfer for Ipswich.

Personal terms have been agreed and the completion of the deal is subject to Hutchinson completing a medical.

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AC Milan have completed the signing of Real Madrid full-back Alex Jimenez.

The 19-year-old joins on a four-year deal with the option of an additional year.

The fee will be €5million plus add-ons and includes an option for Real Madrid to buy him back for €9m next summer €12m in 2026.

Jimenez spent last season on loan at Milan, making three appearances in Serie A and six for the under-21s in the UEFA Youth League.

He has represented Spain at under-15, under-17 and — most recently — under-19 level, although he is yet to earn a cap at senior level.

Jimenez will form part of new head coach Paulo Fonesca's Milan squad for the 2024-25 season after the Portuguese was confirmed as Steffi Poli's replacement at San Siro.

Burnley have completed the signing of defender Shurandy Sambo on a four-year deal.

The right-back joins as a free agent after his contract with PSV Eindhoven expired recently. The 22-year-old becomes Burnley's first summer signing despite the search for Vincent Kompany's successor continuing.

Sambo, who came through PSV's academy, made 15 first-team appearances in total for the club, helping the Dutch side win the Eredivisie and Dutch Super Cup last season. He has also represented the Netherlands international youth sides.

Craig Bellamy remains in charge as acting head coach and remains in the running for the managerial job permanently alongside former Fulham and AFC Bournemouth manager Scott Parker.

Ruud van Nistelrooy looks set to join Manchester United's coaching staff after being a leading candidate.

Real Betis have completed the signing of Marc Roca from Leeds United.

The Athletic reported in the DealSheet earlier this week that a move was progressing for the the 27-year-old midfielder — who spent the 2023-24 season on loan at Betis from Leeds — and this has now been made permanent for an undisclosed fee.

Roca made 37 appearances in all competitions for Manuel Pelligrini’s side last season, providing three goals and four assists which helped Betis qualify for Europe with a seventh-place finish in La Liga.

He joined Leeds from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2022 on a four-year contract but departed on loan after just one season following the club’s relegation to the Championship.

Southampton are in discussions with West Ham United regarding a deal for Flynn Downes, with Kyle Walker-Peters in line to move in the opposite direction as part of a separate transaction.

Downes, 25, spent last season on loan at St Mary’s and played a key role in Southampton’s promotion back to the Premier League.

He made 33 appearances last term including the entirety of Southampton’s victory over Leeds United in the play-off final.

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Chelsea have submitted an offer to sign Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Leicester City.

The Athletic revealed on Thursday that Chelsea had contacted Leicester to express an interest in recruiting the 25-year-old midfielder, although a bid had yet to be made.

But the west London side have now sent a proposal for the Englishman to their newly-promoted Premier League counterparts.

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Southampton are in talks with Russell Martin over a new contract after he led them back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Martin took Southampton up via a 1-0 play-off final win against Leeds United at Wembley Stadium in May and is now set to receive an improved deal.

He joined the club last summer and was tasked with securing their instant return to the Premier League after they were relegated at the end of the 2022-23 campaign.

Sivasspor have reached an agreement in principle for the signing of Birmingham City midfielder Alex Pritchard.

The 31-year-old is set to sign a two-year deal with the Turkish Super Lig side.

Pritchard is due to travel to Turkey on Sunday to complete the formalities of the transfer.

He joined Birmingham from Sunderland in January and made nine Championship appearances as the club were relegated to League One.

Pritchard's Birmingham move saw him link up with former Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray, but he stepped away from the role in February after just over a month in charge to undergo medical treatment.

The Tottenham Hotspur academy graduate previously spent two and a half years at Sunderland and was part of the side that won promotion to the Championship via the play-offs in 2022.

Sivasspor, Turkish Cup winners in 2022, finished seventh in the Super Lig last season.

Everton defender Ben Godfrey will undergo a medical in Italy today ahead of his proposed transfer to Atalanta.

The Athletic reported earlier this week that Everton had received a €10million (£8.46m) offer from the Serie A side for the defender; a verbal proposal which fell below Everton’s asking price.

However, an agreement has now been reached between the clubs for the 26-year-old, who is about to enter the final 12 months of his contract at Everton.

Chelsea are close to completing the signing of Aaron Anselmino from Boca Juniors with talks now at an advanced stage.

Although final agreement hasn’t been reached yet, talks are moving positively and personal terms are not considered an issue at this stage.

The 19-year-old is set to join for a fee in the region of £17million, including add-ons.