5 summer transfer deals that could still go through

The clock is ticking…

Premier League clubs have already smashed last summer’s record transfer spend of £1.18bn this year and there’s no sign of them slowing down yet. The transfer window closes on Thursday night and there’s likely to be plenty of activity as clubs rush to sign the players they need.

The deadline means that some deals that have been on the cards all summer now need to be settled. One way or the other. Coral News have looked at five big transfers that could happen:

Alexis Sanchez

Alexis Sanchez is out of contract next year and has shown no intention of signing an extension. But Arsenal have insisted all summer that he’ll remain at the club. That stance could be seriously tested by Manchester City before the window shuts.

Sanchez is understood to want to be reunited with Pep Guardiola at City and Arsenal’s dismal start to the season will have done nothing to convince him to stay. Reports have suggested Raheem Sterling or Sergio Aguero could be involved in a swap deal. But losing Sanchez would still be a huge blow to Arsenal and Arsene Wenger.

Philippe Coutinho

Barcelona have already had three bids for Philippe Coutinho rejected by Liverpool. The latest one was reportedly worth £118m in total, showing how determined Liverpool are to keep hold of the playmaker. The club’s owners have also released a statement saying he will not be sold.

The Reds didn’t need Coutinho to destroy Arsenal 4-0 on Sunday though. The Brazil international handed in a transfer request after the third bid was rejected. There’ve been suggestions a fourth Barcelona bid is incoming. Will Liverpool relent for an enormous sum? Or will they try to reintegrate an unhappy player?

Diego Costa

It’s clear that Diego Costa has no future at Chelsea. Antonio Conte told the striker that via text in June. He’s a proven goal scorer, a Spain international and a real handful for defenders. He should be a very attractive target, in theory. The problem is he only wants to return to Atletico Madrid, who are under a transfer embargo until January.

The relationship between Costa and Chelsea has now completely deteriorated and a loan move has been suggested as a compromise until January. Everton are a potential option, though it’s unclear whether the 28-year-old would want to remain in England.

Ross Barkley

Ross Barkley only has a year left on his contract and has turned down Everton’s offer of an extension. Ronald Koeman has never seemed too concerned about keeping the midfielder, and with Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur interested, a move seemed inevitable.

Now it’s late August and neither club has made an offer for the 23-year-old yet. They may have held off because of Everton’s initial £50m asking price. Barkley then picked up a hamstring injury in training. It still wouldn’t be a surprise to see him leave Goodison Park for closer to £30m before the window shuts though.

Jonny Evans

Surprisingly, West Bromwich Albion’s Jonny Evans has found himself at the centre of a transfer battle. Manchester City have seen two bids for the defender turned down. Leicester City’s £23m offer was also rejected. And now Arsenal see the 29-year-old as a potential replacement for Shkodran Mustafi.

He has plenty of Premier League and Champions League experience. He also counts as a home-grown player, having developed at Manchester United. West Brom value Evans at around £30m and will only sell if they can bring in a replacement first.

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