Ten big transfers that could happen on Deadline Day

FT Desk

• Updated: 23 May 2023 08:55 CDT
• 5 min read

There are only a matter of hours left in the January transfer window, with clubs all over Europe scrambling to complete last-minute deals that will see their squads finalised until the end of the season.

DEADLINE DAY: EVERY CONFIRMED TRANSFER AROUND EUROPE

Already in January we have seen some blockbuster deals, with Juventus’ €80 million swoop for Fiorentina’s Dusan Vlahovic and Barcelona’s €65m capture of Ferran Torres particularly standing out.

There are many more big names still in the fold for a late move, though.

Here are 10 transfers that could be completed on Monday.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: Arsenal to Barcelona

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is on the brink of a six-month loan move to Barcelona.

Arsenal have been desperately trying to offload Aubameyang, having frozen him out of the squad following a string of disciplinary problems.

After turning down a move to Al Nassr, Aubameyang has given the okay to move to Barca on a dry loan.

A sticking point is Aubameyang’s £350,000 per week wages, whilst Barca need to offload a player first, but there is confidence a deal can be done.

Julian Alvarez: River Plate to Man City

River Plate wonderkid Julian Alvarez has been tagged as the “next Lionel Messi” by some experts.

And Alvarez is now set to link up with the man who turned Messi into a legend’ Pep Guardiola.

Man City have agreed a deal with River that will see Alvarez stay on loan in Argentina until the end of the season before moving permanently to the Etihad in June.

All paperwork has been agreed and the deal should become official on Deadline Day.

Dejan Kulusevski: Juventus to Spurs

Juventus and Tottenham have agreed a deal that will see Swedish winger Dejan Kulusevski move to the Premier League on an initial 18-month loan deal worth up to €10m.

That loan will then become permanent for a final fee that could reach a total of €45m if certain objectives and appearance numbers are reached. One of these objectives is Tottenham qualifying for the Champions League.

Kulusesvki flew out to London from Turin on Sunday evening and told reporters: “I was happy here, I hope to return to Juventus one day.”

Rodrigo Bentancur: Juventus to Spurs

Kulusevski is not the only Juventus player set to sign for Spurs.

Uruguayan central midfielder Bentancur will join Tottenham for €19m plus €6m in add-ons. Bentancur’s former club Boca Juniors will receive around 30 per cent of that figure.

The 24-year-old will undergo his medical whilst on international duty with Uruguay where is playing in the World Cup qualifiers. He will replace the outgoing Tangy NDombele, who is set to move to Lyon on loan as Bruno Guimaraes’ successor.

Denis Zakaria: Gladbach to Juventus

It is a game of dominoes when it comes to central midfielders as Bentancur’s departure from Juventus has opened up the door for Denis Zakaria to arrive from Borussia Monchengladbach.

Zakaria’s contract expires at the end of the season and he had already informed the club that he would not be penning a new deal.

Juventus have stolen a march on the competition by agreeing to pay Gladbach a small fee of €5m plus €2m in bonuses so that Zakaria can come now.

OFFICIAL: Christian Eriksen: Free Agent to Brentford

In perhaps the most beautiful transfer story of the January transfer window, Christian Eriksen has signed for Brentford on a six-month contract.

Eriksen was a free agent after Inter were forced to release him as the Dane is medically forbidden from playing in Serie A following his cardiac arrest at Euro 2020.

The rules about playing with a defibrillator are different in England and the 29-year-old has passed all medical checks in his Brentford medical and the deal became official on Monday morning.

Donny van de Beek: Man Utd to Everton

Manchester United outcast Donny van de Beek has agreed to join Everton on loan until the end of the season, according to multiple reports in England.

Van de Beek will move to Goodison Park on a dry loan, with Everton paying the Dutchman’s salary for the rest of the campaign.

The Dutchman has already spoken to Everton’s likely new manager Frank Lampard and the deal should be official in the first half of deadline day.

Ousmane Dembele: Barcelona to Man Utd, Chelsea or PSG

No one has a clue where Ousmane Dembele will be when the transfer window shuts on Monday night.

Barcelona have given Dembele an ultimatum; either he signs a new contract before February or leave the club.

There have been wildly different reports all over Europe in the past hours. Some say Dembele is joining Man Utd, some say Chelsea, while others say PSG.

The truth is no one has a clue where Dembele will end up, probably not even the player himself!

Alexander Isak: Real Sociedad to Arsenal

Arsenal made the signing of top-class striker their priority in the January transfer window.

But as we approach the last hours of the market, Arsenal still don’t have a new number 9.

Dusan Vlahovic had been their first choice but the Serbian rejected them for Juventus.

Arsenal have now reportedly started pressing for Real Sociedad’s Alexander Isak, rated at €40m, but a deal this late will not be easy.

Fabio Carvalho: Fulham to Liverpool

Liverpool have already completed one eye-catching move in the final hours of the transfer window.

On Sunday, the Reds signed Porto star Luis Diaz for a fee that could reach €60m. Now they are looking to push through a deal for Fulham wonderkid Fabio Carvalho.

The attacking midfielder, only 19, is out of contract at the end of the season. Liverpool are understood to be in advanced talks to sign him for a small fee, but Championship promotion-hopefuls Fulham will demand he stays on loan until the end of the season.