Transfer news live: Chelsea signs Wesley Fofana, holding Christian Pulisic 'against his wishes'
European soccer's summer transfer window will shut on Thursday, Sept. 1, and in the final days before deadline day, clubs in the English Premier League, Spain's La Liga, Italy's Serie A, Germany's Bundesliga and France's Ligue 1 are in races against the clock.
Manchester United and Chelsea have already won their biggest races. United confirmed Tuesday that Antony, a 22-year-old Brazilian winger, will join from Ajax for a fee that the Dutch club said is 95 million euros ($95 million) plus 5 million more in potential add-ons. A day later, Chelsea unveiled Wesley Fofana, a French center back who'll join from Leicester City and reportedly cost the Blues upwards of $80 million.
And Chelsea is reportedly not done. Fabrizio Romano reported Tuesday that the club is in "advanced talks" with RB Leipzig to sign 20-year-old Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol for $90 million next summer. There are also talks between Chelsea and Barcelona surrounding Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
There has, however, been no movement on Christian Pulisic's situation after a frustrating Tuesday night. A source told Yahoo Sports on Wednesday that Chelsea is "holding him against his wishes."
Elsewhere, back in Manchester, Cristiano Ronaldo appears to be staying. United manager Erik Ten Hag said Wednesday that his squad is set — which also means that reported interest in American fullback Sergiño Dest has fizzled.
Dest, though, is the subject of interest from elsewhere. Two of his U.S. teammates also appear to be on the move — center back John Brooks is signing for Mallorca in La Liga, and Ricardo Pepi is reportedly heading to Dutch side Groningen on loan.
As the deadline approaches, Yahoo Sports will track the latest happenings here — with a rundown of the biggest stories below.
Transfer news live tracker
Latest on Cristiano Ronaldo
The latest reports surrounding Ronaldo suggest that his agent, Jorge Mendes, approached Napoli about a potential move last week — but that Ronaldo has since turned it down.
In one proposed deal, Man United would have reportedly sent a nine-figure transfer fee plus Ronaldo, with a large chunk of his salary covered, to Napoli in exchange for 23-year-old Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen. But the deal, for several reasons, appears to be off.
So Ronaldo's situation is the same as it has been for weeks now. He wants to leave United for a Champions League contender. But no Champions League contender seems to want him. So it appears that he'll remain in Manchester.
Christian Pulisic seemingly staying at Chelsea
After reports of interest from Man United, Newcastle and others, it now appears that Pulisic will stay put. The Athletic's David Ornstein reported Monday that Pulisic and English midfielder Conor Gallagher "are expected to stay at Chelsea, barring a bid for either player that is too good to refuse."
The Athletic's Paul Tenorio and ESPN's James Olley later confirmed that this is Chelsea's stance. A source told Yahoo Sports on Wednesday — the morning after a frustrating Chelsea loss at Southampton, in which Pulisic played 25 minutes at right wingback off the bench — that Pulisic's wish is to leave Chelsea, either on loan or permanently. But the club is "blocking any deals and holding him against his wishes," the source said.
When does the transfer window shut?
The window shuts on Thursday in all the major leagues, but the exact transfer deadline is different in different countries.
In England and Spain, the window shuts at 6 p.m. ET.
In Germany, it closes much earlier, at noon ET.
In France, it closes an hour later, at 7 p.m. ET.
Done deals
For a day-by-day and club-by-club rundown of all the transfers completed so far this summer in the big five leagues, The Guardian has a comprehensive list. And Transfermarkt sorts them from most to least expensive.
