Chelsea are poised to announce a deal for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia as their rampant transfer spending continues.
The Blues have agreed a fee of £53 million for Lavia with a further £5 million payable in bonuses.
Lavia was at Chelsea for medical tests on Wednesday as they seek to wrap up another major midfield acquisition just days after clinching a British record £115 million deal for Brighton's Moises Caicedo.
Lavia only joined Saints last summer from Manchester City for a fee of £10.5 million. City are thought to have a 20 per cent sell-on clause.
The Belgium international joins Caicedo in snubbing strong interest from Liverpool to instead sign for Chelsea.
One player seemingly set to leave the club, however, is Morocco star Hakim Ziyech, who is the subject of interest from Galatasaray.
Chelsea have reportedly agreed a fee with the Turkish giants with the move subject to personal terms being agreed and medical tests. Ziyech has already seen moves to Saudi Pro League Al Nassr and Paris Saint-Germain collapse earlier this year.
Ziyech was without a squad number and had been training away from Mauricio Pochettino’s first-team along with Romelu Lukaku and Callum Hudson-Odoi, who have been linked with Juventus and Fulham, respectively.
The 30-year-old Ziyech scored 14 goals in 107 appearances for the Blues since joining the club from Ajax in 2020.
Meanwhile, Lavia could be swiftly followed into Stamford Bridge by Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise.
The Blues are reported to have triggered a £35 million release clause in Olise's contract, giving them permission to discuss a deal with the 21-year-old London-born France youth international.
The loss of Olise for a fee below his market value will be a bitter blow for Palace, who have already seen club legend Wilfried Zaha leave the club to join Galatasaray on a free transfer this summer.
Olise is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury and it is not expected to be fit again for several weeks.
The Blues are also pursuing a deal for the 18-year-old Santos forward Deivid Washington, who will reportedly cost a fee of £17 million.
The signing of Caicedo took the club's transfer spend to £906 million on 27 players across three windows since being acquired by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, and with more business imminent, there's every chance that could top a billion by the end of the month.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
