The summer transfer window closes on Friday 30 August (Premier League clubs have until 11pm BST / 6pm ET) and the clock is ticking for several high-profile stars whose futures remain uncertain.
Finding a new club can be tricky, both for the player and the clubs trying to get a deal done, due to contractual issues, wage demands and transfer fees. But the pressure to get it done is on in the week ahead.
Who are the best players in Europe looking for a new team before the transfer window closes? And who could they sign?
Raheem Sterling, Chelsea striker
New Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has told Sterling he has no future in the first team at Stamford Bridge and can leave the club this month. But finding a new team will be easier said than done with the 29-year-old still having three years left on his £300,000-a-week contract.
Having signed Sterling from Manchester City for £47.5m two years ago, the only viable option for Chelsea to recoup any of the money they paid for the former England winger would be to let him join a club in Saudi Arabia. But Sterling has already ruled out a move to the Saudi Pro League because his family are based in London.
Juventus and Aston Villa have shown some interest, but Sterling's wages and transfer fee are likely to rule out a permanent deal. A loan move seems the only realistic option, but Chelsea are unlikely to find a club willing to take on the full cost of his salary.
Manchester United striker Jadon Sancho
Both United and Sancho have salvaged a bad situation with a summer move after a season-long stand-off between the winger and manager Erik ten Hag last year resulted in the player spending six months on loan at Borussia Dortmund.
But while Ten Hag and Sancho have reached a truce that has allowed the 24-year-old to be reinstated into the first team, United are set to offload the player this month after paying Dortmund £73m for his services in 2021.
Sancho's form for Dortmund last season, when he helped the Bundesliga side reach the Champions League final, has generated some interest, with Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea all possible destinations.
United want to seal a permanent transfer for Sancho rather than another loan, but face a significant financial hit in encouraging another club to pay a fee and also take on the player's £250,000-a-week wages.
Ivan Toney, ST, Brentford
Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli have made a lucrative offer for Toney but are yet to match the £50m asking price Brentford requested for the 28-year-old's services.
With Toney out of contract at the end of the season, Brentford need to get a deal done during this window to avoid losing him for nothing, or a fraction of his value in January. But while the club are keen to get a move done before the end of the month, Toney is considering whether to see out his contract and become a free agent.
Having helped England reach the final of Euro 2024 this summer, Toney knows a move to Saudi Arabia could damage his hopes of playing at the 2026 World Cup. Previous interest from Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United has failed to progress this summer, but if Toney delays a move he could have his pick of some top clubs in 2025. He must now consider whether the money on offer in Saudi Arabia is too good to turn down.
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Victor Osimhen, ST, Napoli
Chelsea are favourites to sign Osimhen, but only if Napoli are willing to agree to a season-long loan with an obligation to make it permanent next summer. PSG remain interested in Osimhen and, although manager Luis Enrique said at the weekend that a long-term ankle injury to Goncalo Ramos will not force the Ligue 1 side into a move, the club are yet to replace Kylian Mbappe following his move to Real Madrid.
Napoli are still waiting for a club to trigger Osimhen's £113m release clause, so it seems unlikely that the 25-year-old Nigeria international will go for him at this stage. But with Napoli not in European football this season, a creative offer from Chelsea or PSG this week could be the key to unlocking a deal.
Marc Guéhi, centre-back, Crystal Palace
Newcastle have made four unsuccessful bids to sign the Crystal Palace defender and the club are now considering the possibility of submitting a fifth offer. Palace chairman Steve Parish said earlier this month that any club wanting to sign the England defender would have to offer “superstar money” to persuade the Selhurst Park board to part with the 24-year-old.
Palace are in fact asking £70m for Guéhi, and now Newcastle could be forced to offload their own players to free up money. And with England full-back Kieran Trippier looking to leave St James' Park (Everton are interested in the 33-year-old), another bid for Guéhi could happen if Trippier leaves.
Jarrad Branthwaite, centre-back, Everton
Manchester United made two unsuccessful bids to sign the Everton centre-back earlier this summer before turning their sights elsewhere due to a £20m difference in valuations between the two clubs. But while United have added Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt and Lille youngster Leny Yoro to their squad since backing off on signing Branthwaite, Everton's precarious financial situation has left the player's future up in the air.
Everton value Branthwaite's transfer at £70m, but his former club Carlisle United are entitled to 15% of any future transfer fee, having negotiated that clause when the youngster moved to Everton for £1m in 2020.
United are unlikely to return for Branthwaite during this transfer window, but if Everton need to raise funds quickly next week, Newcastle and Liverpool could rekindle their interest in the 22-year-old.
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Scott McTominay, Manchester United central midfielder
McTominay's status at United is key to the club's transfer strategy during the final week of the transfer window. Fulham and Napoli are both attempting to sign the Scottish midfielder, with United asking for at least £25m for the 27-year-old. If United are successful in offloading McTominay, his status as a academy player would allow the club to record any amount as a net profit in their accounts and significantly increase their ability to reinvest the money into new signings.
Ten Hag has said he is happy for McTominay to remain at Old Trafford as a club player but with his contract up next summer, United need to cash in now and could still reduce their valuation to close a deal.
Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho, who gave McTominay his debut for United, is interested but that fee would rule out a transfer unless United lower their demands.
Manuel Ugarte, DM, Paris Saint-Germain
The PSG midfielder has been a long-standing target for United, but uncertainty surrounding McTominay's future has put any deal for the Uruguay international on hold. Having signed the 23-year-old from Sporting CP for £51m last summer, PSG are keen to recoup their investment, but United are reluctant to make such a big offer.
A loan deal, with an obligation to transfer permanently next summer, is the most likely option, but United would be in a position to make a permanent deal in this window if they can offload McTominay.
There is still the prospect of McTominay staying and Ugarte signing on loan, but United's preference is to get one out before bringing in another.
Frenkie de Jong, CM, Barcelona
De Jong is United's Plan B if they fail to secure a deal for Ugarte, but they have already discovered that luring the Dutch international from Camp Nou is a difficult task. Ten Hag wanted the former Ajax midfielder to be his first signing at Old Trafford two years ago, but a protracted summer saga ended with the player opting to stay in Spain.
De Jong is happy to remain at Barcelona but the club's financial problems, which forced it to allow Ilkay Gündogan to return to Manchester City on a free transfer this week, mean more high-profile departures could occur in the final week of the window.
De Jong will not push for an exit but if United fail to land Ugarte they could test Barcelona's resolve with a last-minute £50m move for the 27-year-old. He is currently injured and could miss at least a few more months.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, right-back and centre-back, Liverpool
The chances of Alexander-Arnold leaving Liverpool next week are slim, but not impossible given his contractual situation. The 25-year-old's contract expires next June and he has yet to negotiate an extension. That has left Liverpool facing the prospect of the England international being able to talk to non-Premier League clubs about a free transfer in the summer on January 1.
Real Madrid have long been interested in him and would be willing to wait until he becomes a free agent, but would Liverpool risk losing such a valuable player for nothing?
If Alexander-Arnold gives any indication that he will not sign a new contract, Liverpool could be forced to offload him now simply to ensure they get a deal.
