Beijing time (CEST) August 31 – With 48 hours remaining in the summer 2026 transfer window, renowned transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has updated his podcast with the latest transfer market developments. Here are the main highlights from this podcast.

Tottenham Departures: Souza, Moore, Danso, and Pape Sarr

"There have been some unexpected new developments in the transfer market tonight. Portuguese giants Porto have reached an agreement with Tottenham to sign Brazilian left-back Souza. It's a straight loan deal, with Porto covering his entire salary. All terms have been agreed by both parties, and Souza will fly to Portugal today to join Porto."

"Another surprise tonight is Tottenham's talented young winger Moore, who will join Bundesliga side Cologne. This deal has also been completed, with Moore joining Cologne on a straight loan with no buy clause included. Tottenham is currently experiencing a wave of player departures."

"Speaking of Tottenham departures, I expect there will also be changes in the center-back position, as Danso could leave Tottenham. Sunderland is very interested in this player and wants to sign him. Personal terms aren't an issue at all—Danso himself is eager for regular playing time and doesn't want to be a long-term substitute. If Tottenham can find a replacement, they're currently open to this transfer. Therefore, negotiations for Danso's move to Sunderland are real and ongoing. Danso could depart, adding to Tottenham's outgoing list."

"Speaking of other players who could leave Tottenham, in the coming hours, I expect Pape Sarr's transfer to Juventus to reach 'Here we go' status. This deal has entered its final stages—it's a loan with Juventus covering his salary and an option to buy. Under specific conditions, the option can become an obligation. If the obligation is triggered, the transfer fee will be close to €30 million. So while Tottenham awaits completing their player signings, several players are leaving one after another—if Danso departs, they'll sign a new defender, and they're also planning to bring in another winger for the manager."

Chelsea Movements: Adarabioyo, Mudryk

"Regarding defenders and players who could leave, pay close attention to Chelsea's Adarabioyo. From what I know, Adarabioyo could leave Chelsea before the window closes, and transfer activity around him remains very active. I've told everyone all summer he could depart, so keep following."

"As for Mudryk, I think there will be transfer movement around him. Leeds United is pushing hard for this transfer, and other clubs are also competing. Let's see what happens with Mudryk. I think he'll ultimately stay in the Premier League, whether it's Leeds United or another club. There's a lot of activity there, and Mudryk could be one of the surprises in the coming hours or days."

Newcastle Departures: Regarding Isak

"Speaking of surprises, also keep an eye on Alexander Isak, because Isak could leave Newcastle before the end of the summer window, and there's been a lot of speculation about him. In the last 12 hours, Juventus has inquired with Newcastle about Isak and also asked about Zirkzee. Napoli was previously interested in Isak and contacted Newcastle and his agent, but the problem for Napoli is they must first sell players to free up wages and squad space before they can sign Isak, which hasn't happened yet."

"Therefore, Juventus is now trying. Juventus has two attacking targets on their shopping list but will sign only one: one is Isak, and the other is Zirkzee from Manchester United. I mentioned in tonight's video that Zirkzee rejected an offer to join Fiorentina, but he's open to joining Juventus, though this depends on negotiations between the two clubs. So Juventus will sign either Zirkzee or Isak. Let's see what happens next."

"This also depends on whether Canadian striker Jonathan David leaves Juventus, as Atlético Madrid is very interested in him. Atlético has submitted a formal offer to Juventus for a loan with an option to buy. Let's see how negotiations progress. According to the information I have, Atlético doesn't want to cover David's entire salary, so both parties need to discuss this point. But this is definitely something to watch: Jonathan David to Atlético, and Juventus choosing between Zirkzee and Isak, currently at 50-50 odds. Also remember, as I mentioned at the start of the video, Juventus is also signing Pape Sarr from Tottenham."

Benzema's Departure and European Return Rumors

"Regarding Benzema, I want to clarify some things. Please don't expect any surprises about Benzema returning to Europe. I know news circulated this afternoon that 'Benzema will leave as a free agent,' which caused quite a stir. Yes, Karim Benzema will terminate his contract—this has been finalized and completed. But the termination is because Benzema wants to consider two directions: one is retiring directly, and the other is continuing to play in Saudi Arabia."

"According to my information, Benzema will not return to Europe and will not join any European club. He'll either stay in Saudi Arabia or choose to retire, which depends entirely on Benzema's decision. We respect his choice and will wait to see."

Mac Allister and Manchester City

"There are also two other deals with many questions: one is Alexis Mac Allister, and the other is Balde. Since people are always asking about these two players, I'll clarify the information here."

"Regarding Alexis Mac Allister, his father Carlos gave a clear response to this possibility in an interview today and sent a very clear message. He said his son will not leave Liverpool—Mac Allister has no intention of leaving Liverpool and wants to stay at the club. Although there haven't been any contract extension discussions yet, the player's wish is to continue at Liverpool. Why did this news emerge? Because an intermediary suggested to Manchester City that if they faced obstacles signing Enzo Fernández, they could consider Mac Allister. But currently, there's been no substantial progress from Manchester City, and the player's father also clarified the situation in his interview."

Balde's Departure is Very Difficult

"Regarding Balde, many questions have been raised. Manchester United believes this deal is too expensive. Manchester United learned all the transfer conditions regarding Balde through Mendes on Sunday. Manchester United was originally interested in a loan with an option to buy (the option could become an obligation after specific conditions are met), but Mendes explicitly informed Manchester United that, as of today, Barcelona will only accept a permanent transfer—no deal otherwise. At the same time, the player himself prefers to stay at Barcelona. That's the current situation. I'll update everyone if there are any changes, but I still expect Manchester United will sign a left-back, it's just that for Balde, completing this deal is very difficult from a financial perspective."

Barcelona Informs Álvarez of Summer 2027 Signing, Arsenal Still Monitoring

"Many people also asked about Álvarez today. From what I know, since Sunday evening, Arsenal is still watching what happens with Álvarez, trying to understand if there's still room for negotiation with the player. But since Sunday evening, Álvarez hasn't given Arsenal the green light, so currently there's no substantial progress, but Arsenal is still monitoring the situation closely."

"This depends entirely on the player's personal wishes. By the way, I remind everyone that Jesus has arrived in Barcelona to prepare to sign with Barcelona. At the same time, Barcelona has informed Álvarez's agent: 'If you can transfer in January or in the summer transfer window next year, we're ready to try to sign you again in summer 2027.' Let's wait and see. Arsenal is still waiting, still hopeful, but this depends entirely on the player himself."

Tradotto dall'IA.

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