The summer transfer window closes in Europe at midnight on Friday, September 1, so expect some frantic last-minute deals to be pushed over the line.
However, to add another layer of drama, the Saudi Pro League deadline is not until September 20, which could mean three weeks of nail-biting for some clubs hoping their top players are not the targets of Saudi sides.
Each day, we collect the best of the transfer speculation and assess the likelihood of these deals materialising.
Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Gravenberch will join Liverpool, according to Sky Sports Deutschland’s Florian Plettenberg. The tweet reveals that the two clubs have agreed a €45 million fee. The midfielder will sign a five-year deal to move to Anfield.
PSV Eindhoven are expected to part ways with Johan Bakayoko, after accepting Brentford’s €40 million bid, per Fabrizio Romano. The 20-year-old has been linked with a move to the Premier League, with both Liverpool and Burnley credited with an interest in the winger.
Manchester United are close to finalising a loan move for Tottenham Hotspur left-back Sergio Reguilon, according to the Daily Mail. United manager has been keen to add a left-back to his squad before the transfer window closes, following an injury to Luke Shaw. Whilst it was reported that United were keen on Chelsea's Marc Cucurella, it is understood that the Old Trafford club have turned their attention towards Reguilon, who has been granted permission to travel and undergo a medical.
Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix could secure a move to Barcelona, according to Sport. The report suggests that whilst the Portuguese forward is keen on the move, the Catalan giants do not view the transfer as a necessity, and will not be roped into a loan deal similar to what Chelsea agreed for the player last season. Atleti would like Barcelona to pay a fee for the loan deal, however, due to the Spanish champions' financial woes, this could prove to be a hurdle.
Joao Palhinha could be set for a move to Bayern Munich, if Fulham can find a replacement before the transfer window closes, according to Fabrizio Romano. The tweet indicates that Fulham have approached Tottenham Hotspur regarding a possible deal for Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, though Spurs are keen to keep the Dane. Palhinha is reportedly keen to secure his move to Bayern, with a five-year deal on offer.
Al Ittihad are eager to force through a deal for Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, however, the Premier League giants are reluctant to sell, according to Rudy Galetti. It is reported that the Saudi Pro League outfit have upped their offer to $130 million, however, with little time left in the transfer window to find a replacement, Liverpool are unlikely to budge.
Completed transfer deals
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COMPLETED TRANSFERS: Jude Bellingham: Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid (£88 million). Getty -

Mason Mount: Chelsea to Manchester United (£55m). Getty -

Romeo Lavia: Southampton to Chelsea (£53m). PA -

Jeremy Doku: Rennes to Manchester City (£51.5m). Reuters -

Manuel Ugarte: Sporting Lisbon to Paris Saint-Germain (£51m). Getty -

Declan Rice: West Ham to Arsenal (£105m). Getty -

Moises Caicedo: Brighton to Chelsea (£115m). Getty -

Harry Kane: Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern Munich (£86m). Reuters -

Josko Gvardiol: RB Leipzig to Manchester City (£77m). Getty -
Neymar: Paris Saint-Germain to Al Hilal (£77m). Getty -

Rasmus Hojlund: Atalanta to Manchester United (£64m). Reuters -

Dominik Szoboszlai: RB Leipzig to Liverpool (£60m). Getty -

Youri Tielemans: Leicester City to Aston Villa (free transfer). Getty -

Sandro Tonali: AC Milan to Newcastle United (£60m). PA -

Ruben Loftus-Cheek: Chelsea to AC Milan (£14m). Reuters -

Nicolas Jackson: Villarreal to Chelsea (£32m). Reuters -

Guglielmo Vicario: Empoli to Tottenham (£17m). Getty -

Marcus Thuram: Borussia Moenchengladbach to Inter Milan (free transfer). AFP -

Jota: Celtic to Al Ittihad (£25m). PA -

Kai Havertz: Chelsea to Arsenal (£65m). Reuters -

James Maddison: Leicester City to Tottenham (£40m). PA -

Edouard Mendy: Chelsea to Al Hilal (£17m). Getty -

Mateo Kovacic: Chelsea to Manchester City (£25m). EPA -

Justin Kluivert: Roma to Bournemouth (£9.6m). Reuteers -

Ruben Neves: Wolverhampton Wanderers to Al Hilal (£47m). Getty -

N'Golo Kante: Chelsea to Al Ittihad (free transfer). AFP -

Kalidou Koulibaly: Chelsea to Al Hilal (£17m). AFP -

Christopher Nkunku: RB Leipzig to Chelsea (£52m). AFP -

Alexis Mac Allister: Brighton & Hove Albion to Liverpool (£35m). Getty -

Ilkay Gundogan: Manchester City to Barcelona (free transfer). AFP -

Joselu: Espanyol to Real Madrid (loan). Getty -

Karim Benzema: Real Madrid to Al Ittiahd (free transfer). AFP -

James Milner: Liverpool to Brighton (free transfer). AFP -

Edin Dzeko: Inter Milan to Fenerbahce (free transfer). AP -

Joao Pedro: Watford to Brighton (£30m). Getty -

Orkun Kokcu: Feyenoord to Benfica (£22m). AP -

Kevin Schade: Freiburg to Brentford (£20m). PA -

Fran Garcia: Rayo Vallecano to Real Madrid (€5m). EPA -

Evan Ndicka: Eintracht Frankfurt to AS Roma (free transfer). Reuters -

Konrad Laimer: RB Leipzig to Bayern Munich (free transfer). Getty -

Teemu Pukki: Norwich City to Minnesota United (free transfer). PA -

Raphael Guerreiro: Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Munich (free transfer). Getty -

Alejandro Grimaldo: Benfica to Bayer Leverkusen (free transfer). EPA -

Benjamin Sesko: Red Bull Salzburg to RB Leipzig (£20 million). Reuters -

Ramy Bensebaini: Borussia Moenchengladbach to Borussia Dortmund (free transfer). AP -

Naby Keita: Liverpool to Werder Bremen (free transfer). AP -

Mahmoud Dahoud: Borussia Dortmund to Brighton (free transfer). AP -

Houssem Aouar: Lyon to Roma (free transfer). AP -

Jefferson Lerma: Bournemouth to Crystal Palace (free transfer). Getty -

Malcom: Zenit St Petersburg to Al Hilal (£51.5m). AFP -

Otavio: Porto to Al Nassr (£51.5m). Getty -

Kim Min-Jae: Napoli to Bayern Munich (£43m). Reuters -

Ousmane Dembele: Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain (£43m). AFP -

Moussa Diaby: Bayer Leverkusen to Aston Villa (£47m). Getty -

Aleksandar Mitrovic: Fulham to Al Hilal (£45m). AFP -

Andre Onana: Inter Milan to Manchester United (£45m). Getty -

Matheus Cunha: Atletico Madrid to Wolverhampton Wanderers (£43m). Getty -

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic: Lazio to Al Hilal (£34.3m). Getty -

Milan Skriniar: Inter Milan to Paris Saint-Germain (free transfer). AFP -

Goncalo Ramos: Benfica to Paris Saint-Germain (loan ahead of £52m permanent transfer). AFP -

Fabinho: Liverpool to Al Ittihad (£40m). Getty -

Lucas Hernandez: AC Milan to Paris Saint-Germain (£39m). EPA -

Axel Disasi: Monaco to Chelsea (£39m). EPA -

Pau Torres: Villarreal to Aston Villa (£28m). Reuters -

Harvey Barnes: Leicester City to Newcastle United (£38m). Getty -

Mohammed Kudus: Ajax to West Ham (£37m). AFP -

Jurrien Timber: Ajax to Arsenal (£34m). Getty -

Micky van de Ven: Wolfsburg to Tottenham (£35m). AFP -

Gabri Veiga: Celta Vigo to Al Ahli (£34m). EPA -

Xavi Simons: PSV Eindhoven to Paris Saint-Germain (£3.5m, spending season on loan at RB Leipzig). Getty -

Lois Openda: Lens to RB Leipzig (£33m). AFP -

Edson Alvarez: Ajax to West Ham (£32.5m). Getty -

James Ward-Prowse: Southampton to West Ham (£30m). Getty -

Tino Livramento: Southampton to Newcastle (£40m). Getty -

Elye Wahi: Montpellier to Lens (£26m). AFP -

Lionel Messi: Paris Saint-Germain to Inter Miami (free transfer). AFP -

Joao Pedro: Watford to Brighton (£30m). Getty -

Allan Saint-Maximin: Newcastle to Al Ahli (£24m). Getty -

Seko Fofana: Lens to Al Nassr (£21.5m). Getty -

Felix Nmecha: Wolfsburg to Borussia Dortmund (£25m). AFP -

Roger Ibanez: Roma to Al Ahli (£25m). Getty -

Sadio Mane: Bayern Munich to Al Nassr (£25m). AFP -

Castello Lukeba: Lyon to RB Leipzig (£25m). AFP -

David Raya: Brentford to Arsenal (loan with £27m option to buy). Getty -

Hugo Ekitike: Reims to Paris Saint-Germain (£24.5m). AFP -

El Bilal Toure: Almeria to Atalanta (£24m). AFP -

Aymeric Laporte: Manchester City to Al Nassr (£23.5m). Reuters -

Lesley Ugochukwu: Rennes to Chelsea (£23m). Getty -

Daichi Kamada: Eintracht Frankfurt to Lazio (free transfer). Getty -

Tyler Adams: Leeds United to Bournemouth (£23m). AP -

Nathan Collins: Wolves to Brentford (£23m). Reuters -

Hamed Junior Traore: Sassuolo to Bournemouth (£22m). Reuters -

Loro Majer: Rennes to Wolfsburg (£21m). Getty -

Gianluca Scamacca: West Ham to Atalanta (£21m). Getty -

Christian Pulisic: Chelsea to AC Milan (£17m). EPA -

Samuel Chukwueze: Villarreal to AC Milan (£17m). Getty -

Marcelo Brozovic: Inter Milan to Al Nassr (£15m). AFP -

Franck Kessie: Barcelona to Al Ahli (£10m). Getty -

Boulaye Dia : Villarreal to Salernitana (£10m). Getty -

Tete: Shakhtar to Galatasaray (free transfer). AP -

Marco Asensio: Real Madrid to Paris Saint-Germain (free transfer). AFP -

Robert Sanchez: Brighton to Chelsea (£20m). EPA -

Alex Scott: Bristol City to Bournemouth (£20m). PA -

Calvin Bassey: Ajax to Fulham (£19m). Getty -

Lee Kang-in: Mallorca to Paris Saint-Germain (£18.5m). AFP -

Anatoliy Trubin: Shakhtar to Benfica (£8.5m). AFP -

Djibril Sow: Eintract Frankfurt to Sevilla (£8.5m). AFP -

Wilfried Zaha: Crystal Palace to Galatasaray (free transfer). Getty -

Cameron Archer: Aston Villa to Sheffield United (£18.5m). Getty -

Yassine Bounou: Sevilla to Al Hilal (£18m). AP -

Victor Boniface: Uniion Berlin to Bayer Leverkusen (£17.5m). Getty -

Josip Sutalo: Dinamo Zagreb to Ajax (£17.5m). AFP -

Riyad Mahrez: Manchester City to Al Ahli (£30m). Getty -

Wataru Endo: Stuttgart to Liverpool (17m). AFP -

Yunus Musah: Valencia to AC Milan (£17m). PA -

Merih Demiral: Atalanta to Al Ahli (£17m). Getty -

Marcel Sabitzer: Bayern Munich to Borussia Dortmund (£16m). Getty -

Granit Xhaka: Arsenal to Bayer Leverkusen (£13m). Getty -

Ilkay Gundogan: Manchester City to Barcelona. AFP -

Manor Solomon: Shakhtar to Tottenham (free transfer). AFP -

Roberto Firmino: Liverpool to Al Ahli (free transfer). Getty -

Jordan Henderson: Liverpool to Al Ettifaq (£12m). Getty -

Sergio Busquets: Barcelona to Inter Miami (free transfer). Getty
UAE%20medallists%20at%20Asian%20Games%202023
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
- Saturday 15 January: UAE beat Canada by 49 runs
- Thursday 20 January: v England
- Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad:
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles
Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly,
Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya
Shetty, Kai Smith
More on women's right
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Seoul from Dh3,775 return, including taxes
The package
Ski Safari offers a seven-night ski package to Korea, including five nights at the Dragon Valley Hotel in Yongpyong and two nights at Seoul CenterMark hotel, from £720 (Dh3,488) per person, including transfers, based on two travelling in January
The info
Visit www.gokorea.co.uk
UFC%20FIGHT%20NIGHT%3A%20SAUDI%20ARABIA%20RESULTS
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
MATCH INFO
Mainz 0
RB Leipzig 5 (Werner 11', 48', 75', Poulsen 23', Sabitzer 36')
Man of the Match: Timo Werner (RB Leipzig)
Teaching in coronavirus times
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While you're here
Nasser bin Nasser: Is US-China conflict in West Asia inevitable?
Sholto Byrnes: Time for an uninhibited China to lead Asia
Damien McElroy: BRI has changed the rules of the game
Sweet%20Tooth
The specs: 2018 Peugeot 5008
Price, base / as tested: Dh99,900 / Dh134,900
Engine: 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 240Nm @ 1,400rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.8L / 100km
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
WHAT%20MACRO%20FACTORS%20ARE%20IMPACTING%20META%20TECH%20MARKETS%3F
FIXTURES
Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence
Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground
Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile
Rashmee Roshan Lall: Sound of silence in South Asia
Richard Olson: Why Afghanistan will be very wary
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
'Cheb%20Khaled'
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Scorline
Iraq 1-0 UAE
Iraq Hussein 28’
FIGHT%20CARD
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative
More on Quran memorisation:
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
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Engine: 80 kWh four-wheel-drive
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 402bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: From Dh280,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence
Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
While you're here
Mustafa Alrawi: To get the 'jab' done, there must be patience and empathy
Damien McElroy: Anti-science attitudes in America are proving lethal
Editorial: What makes the UAE such a good place to test vaccines?
Editorial: The fight against Covid-19 should be guided by science
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
