The transfer rumour mill is in full swing with daily stories of players arriving and leaving.
Here we bring you the best transfer gossip and the likelihood of those transfer stories materialising.
The paperwork has been finalised for Allan Saint-Maximin's anticipated transfer from Newcastle United to Al Ahli, as per the Athletic. The 26-year-old winger successfully completed his medical with the Saudi Pro League side last week. He is expected to officially join the club on a three-year contract in a deal worth approximately $30m. Al Ahli are owned by the same Saudi Public Investment Fund that holds an 80 per cent stake in Newcastle United. The Frenchman is set to join the likes of former Premier League Edouard Mendy, Roberto Firmino, and Riyad Mahrez in Jeddah.
Paris Saint-Germain are set to secure the services of Barcelona's Ousmane Dembele, ESPN reports. The Ligue 1 champions are preparing to trigger the 26-year-old's €50m release clause before it rises to €100m next week on July 31, as they have already reached an agreement on personal terms with the player. Since joining the Blaugrana from Borussia Dortmund in 2017, the France international has scored 40 goals and provided 43 assists in 185 appearances. It is understood that Dembele is keen on joining the Parisiens on a five-year deal, despite attempts from the Catalan side to keep him.
Manchester United have turned down a £20m bid from West Ham for Harry Maguire, The Athletic reports. The 30-year-old defender, who was recently stripped of the club’s captaincy, is out of contract at Old Trafford in 2025. However, the Hammers are not expected to push for the England international due to his sizeable salary. Moreover, Maguire is reportedly determined to remain at Old Trafford and fight for his place in Erik ten Hag’s starting line-up for the upcoming season.
Top Saudi Pro League signings
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Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr): The transfer that started it all. The Portuguese superstar moved to the Saudi Pro League in January after his acrimonious exit from Manchester United. Ronaldo scored 14 goals in his first 16 Saudi Pro League games. AFP -
Karim Benzema (Al Ittihad): The first statement signing of the summer transfer window, Ballon d'Or holder Benzema joined the Saudi champions after agreeing an exit from Real Madrid. The French striker was welcomed with a fittingly grand ceremony. Reuters -
N'Golo Kante (Al Ittihad): The French midfielder soon followed Benzema to Ittihad once his Chelsea contract expired. Kante, a two-time Premier League winner and World Cup champion, adds further glamour to the Saudi Pro League. AFP -
Ruben Neves (Al Hilal): By far the most expensive player in Saudi Pro League history. While Ronaldo and Benzema are the bigger global names, both arrived on free transfers. Portuguese midfielder Neves shattered the transfer record by moving to Hilal from Wolves for £47 million. AP -
Kalidou Koulibaly (Al Hilal): After completing the record-breaking move for Neves, Hilal turned their attention to Koulibaly, recruiting the Senegalese centre-back for £20m. Despite a difficult season at Chelsea, Koulibaly has been one of the standout defenders of his generation. AFP -
Edouard Mendy (Al Ahli): Before his long-term shoulder injury, Mendy was one of the best goalkeepers in the world, winning the Champions League with Chelsea and Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal. His £16m move to Ahli can help revive his career. AFP -
Jota (Al Ittihad): The Saudi champions are making major moves this summer, and the £25m acquisition of Portuguese winger Jota boosts an attack led by Benzema. PA -
Marcelo Brozovic (Al Nassr): Arriving to provide support to Ronaldo at Nassr, Croatian midfielder Brozovic joined the Saudi club for £15m after another impressive season for Champions League finalists Inter Milan. AFP -
Steven Gerrard (Al Ettifaq): Major arrivals are not only happening on the pitch but in the dugout. Former Rangers and Aston Villa manager Gerrard was appointed by Ettifaq and will aim to revive his career in Saudi. AFP -
Roberto Firmino (Al Ahli): The former Liverpool forward left Anfield after eight successful seasons to lead the attack at Ahli. @ALAHLI_FC / Twitter -
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Al Hilal): Arguably the most eye-catching deal of the summer. The 28-year-old Serbia midfielder has frequently been linked with Europe's biggest clubs but has opted to join Hilal in a €40m deal. His midfield partnership with Ruben Neves would be the envy of many European teams. Reuters -
Jordan Henderson (Al Ettifaq): The former Liverpool captain is expected to wear the armband following his move from the Premier League giants. The midfielder departed Anfield after 12 years, seven major trophies and 492 appearances. Reuters -
Alex Telles (Al Nassr): The Brazilian defender linked up with former Manchester United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr this summer. Telles spent the 2022/23 season on loan at Sevilla, helping the Spanish club win the Europa League. He joined Nassr for a reported fee of £4 million. Getty -
Riyad Mahrez (Al Ahli) - Algerian winger Mahrez left Manchester City after five years at the Etihad Stadium in which he won 11 major trophies. In all, he made 236 appearances, scoring 78 goals. Reuters -
Allan Saint-Maximin (Al Ahli): The French winger signed for Jeddah giants Al Ahli on a three-year contract after confirming his departure from Newcastle. During his four years on Tyneside, Saint-Maximin scored 13 goals in 124 appearances. AFP -
Fabinho (Al Ittihad): An integral part of a Liverpool squad that won the Champions League and Premier League in successive seasons following his move from Monaco in 2019. Capped 29 times for his country, the Brazilian midfielder joined the Saudi Pro League champions on a three-year contract. AP -
Sadio Mane (Al Nassr): After six highly successful years at Liverpool, in which he won the Premier League and Uefa Champions League titles, Mane endured a frustrating season at Bayern Munich, though he contributed to their title success. The Senegalese, 31, will be part of a fearsome attacking line up alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Nassr. Getty -
Malcom (Al Hilal): Not content with breaking the Saudi Pro League transfer record once, Al Hilal did so twice this summer and made Brazilian winger Malcom the most expensive player in Saudi football history. AFP -
Seko Fofana (Al Nassr): A player in demand this summer after a superb season to help Lens run PSG close in Ligue 1, the Ivory Coast midfielder opted to link up with Ronaldo at Al Nassr over moves elsewhere in Europe. AC Milan had been strongly linked. AFP -
Franck Kessie (Al Ahli): The Ivory Coast midfielder's time at Barcelona may not have worked out but he remains a top-level operator and adds more quality and star power to Al Ahli. Getty -
Moussa Dembele (Al Ettifaq): A shrewd free transfer by Gerrard's Al Ettifaq, the French striker has moved to the Saudi Pro League side on a four-year deal and should provide the goals. AFP -
Neymar (Al Hilal). The Brazilian completed his move from PSG and is one of the biggest stars in the ever-expanding Saudi Pro League. He was unveiled in front of thousands of fans in Riyadh on Saturday. Getty -
Yannick Carrasco (Al Shabab). After 265 appearances across two spells at Atletico Madrid, the Belgian winger joined the Riyadh club for a reported fee of €15 million. Carrasco also spent two years in the Chinese Super League. EPA -
Georginio Wijnaldum (Al Ettifaq): The Dutch midfielder enhanced the Liverpool connection at Ettifaq, joining former teammate Jordan Henderson at the Damman club coached by Reds legend Steven Gerrard. Wijnaldum, 32, has signed a three-year contract. Reuters -
Gabri Veiga (Al Ahli): Widely regarded as one of the best midfield prospects in Spain, 21-year-old Veiga signed for Ahli on a three-year deal from Celta Vigo despite interest from Liverpool and Napoli. Veiga said he opted for the Saudi Pro League to "grow the game" in the kingdom. EPA -
Aymeric Laporte (Al Nassr): A vital part of Manchester City's squad that clinched a treble of league, cup and Uefa Champions League in 2023, the Spaniard switched to Nassr over the summer to link up with Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. A fee of £23.6 million makes the 29-year-old the league's most expensive defender. Getty Images -
Otavio (Al Nassr): The Portugal midfielder scored 31 goals in 283 games in all competitions for Porto after joining the team in 2014. He linked up with Riyadh-based club after Porto accepted a bid of around $65 million. AFP -
Merih Demiral: (Al Ahli): The imposing Turkey centre-back boasts Sporting of Lisbon and Juventus among his previous clubs and stood out in Serie A across two seasons at Atalanta. The 25-year-old joined Ahli on a three-year contract. Getty
Bayern Munich have cancelled their meeting with Tottenham Hotspur over a move for Harry Kane, BILD revealed. The club’s chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen and the technical director Marco Neppe were supposed to be in north London on Friday to negotiate the signing of the 30-year-old striker, following Spurs’ rejection of their initial $70m offer. However, after seeing their travel arrangements on flight radar sites, the Bavarian bosses decided to postpone the discussions until Monday. The England captain, who is in contract with the Premier League club until 2024, remains the German club's top priority target for the summer transfer window.
Liverpool's Fabinho is edging closer to a move to Al Ittihad, according to 90min. The 29-year-old midfielder, who joined the Merseyside club from Monaco in 2018 and has since made 219 appearances, is expected to undergo his medical examination with the Saudi Pro League club today. The Brazilian international has been excluded from Liverpool's pre-season tour of Singapore.
Al Nassr have submitted an offer to Paris Saint-Germain for their captain, Marquinhos. The 29-year-old defender, who recently signed a new five-year deal with the Ligue 1 club, has given his approval to initiate negotiations with the Saudi Pro League club. Al Nassr and Paris Saint-Germain recently faced each other in a friendly match in Japan, which ended 0-0. For almost a decade, the Brazilian has been a key figure at the Parc des Princes. Nevertheless, following recent remarks concerning Kylian Mbappe's future, where he expressed his desire to continue playing alongside the striker, a SportsZone report has suggested that the club are now open to parting ways with Marquinhos.
Arsenal are increasingly optimistic about securing the signature of Bitello, according to 90min. Despite having only two years of experience at the first-team level, the 23-year-old midfielder is drawing interest from several European clubs. Negotiations are currently underway, and the Gunners believe they are in the lead to acquire him from Gremio, with the Brazilian club valuing the player at £8.5 million. It is understood that Bitello has been specifically identified by Arsenal's Brazilian sporting director Edu.
