Transfer deadline day is here, and it looks busy

This weekend was a pure bloodbath of gambling for me. As always, we are honest about our wins AND our losses, and this was the worst one of the season.

Thankfully, we have one more day of transfer madness to take my mind off the losses. The below is where we were when we went to press. I’m very interested to see how much this changes and if anything else comes through between now and 7pm UK time.

• The BIG story from over the weekend is Liverpool swiping Jeremy Jacquet from under the rumour mill’s nose. Apparently they’d been quietly working on this for weeks and were on target for a summertime move, but that timeline got bumped ahead for reasons. Liverpool’s CB targeting has historically been very good, but he’s still just 20 years old. The Ornacle reports the price as £55M+5M for this buy-now-loan-until-later deal. It’s like the opposite of Klarna.

• Arsenal may have been poking around Newcastle (reports are mixed), kicking the tires one Sandro Tonali to replace Mikel Merino’s broken foot. Newcastle have predictably responded with a finger salute that in Italian means to “do one.”

• Speaking of, there’s no recall option on Ethan Nwaneri’s loan to Marseille, so he can’t come back and fill Merino’s minutes either. Will it matter for the Gunners’ title and trophy hopes?

• It looks like Jean-Philippe Mateta will be off to Milan this window, as Crystal Palace cash in some value. He’s having more medicals with Milan today, possibly because they are worried about some knee trouble?

• [Crystal Palace cash in some value…] And then immediately blow that on Jorgen Strand Larsen, in a deal Ornstein reports as 43M+5M? On the one hand, I have been encouraging Palace ownership to spend some money, but that much on that player? Hrm…

• Meanwhile, Wolves are bringing in Strand Larsen cover in the name of Adam Armstrong from Southampton. That deal is in the ballpark of, uh… £9M. That one feels like a “he’ll be great for us in the Championship” deal.

• Ricardo Pepi is probably NOT going to move to Fulham this window, but interest likely remains for the summer. We are still not convinced this is a good idea either.

• Speaking of Fulham, they have turned down a bid for the Bangers MC, Harry Wilson. Apparently Everton wanted to increase their goals from range, but Fulham said, “not right now, this is our favourite song.”

• Alex Crook reports Brajan Gruda is going on loan to RB Leipzig as he “looks for more playing time prior to the World Cup.” I told you this was going to be a thing.

• Chelsea are moving various and sundry players between themselves and Strasbourg. I do this transfer stuff professionally, and I don’t really have a clue as to which team owns who. I am not entirely certain Chelsea do either.

• Axel Disasi is set for a medical ahead of a loan move to West Ham. Get excite!

• In a very unusual move, Atletico Madrid appear to be signing Seattle Sounders 20-year-old midfielder Obed Vargas. That one’s not exactly the most common talent pipeline we see.

• Oleksandr Zinchenko has officially (and finally) joined someone other than Arsenal on a permanent deal. He’ll be plying his trade with Ajax from now on. I’m reporting this a second time (after Kim mentioned it on Friday) just to prove to myself it actually happened. Calum Chambers, however, is still under contract with the club.

• Fabrizio Romano reports Arsenal are in talks to sign/loan Hearts’ 18-year-old striker James Wilson, as one for the future or one to occupy some Cup minutes up top right now?

Enjoy the rest of your winter deadline day!
—TK

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