5 Deadline day transfers to watch out for
Panic is now officially setting in for Premier League clubs as the transfer deadline day looms. For the first time in the modern era, the window for incoming transfers will slam shut before the Premier League season begins, meaning there are sure to be plenty of deals happening over the next 48 hours.
The early closing of the transfer window is a self-inflicted wound by elite English clubs who voted in favour of moving their deadline day to before the season begins. Last year, 14 out of the 20 Premier League clubs voted for the notion while six clubs, including Manchester United and Manchester City, voted against it.
The new deadline in combination with this summer's World Cup has left numerous top-flight clubs in limbo regarding transfers. Their European counterparts can sign players right up until the end of August and are using this advantage to extract maximum value for any player who is a target for an English team.
Similarly, wantaway players such as Thibaut Courtois at Chelsea, can easily down tools after the deadline passes in an effort to demand a transfer. This would leave the Blues in a situation where they could lose their first-choice goalkeeper and not have the ability to sign a replacement until January.
For this reason, we are sure to see many English clubs move for targets over the next couple of days as they look to complete a squad capable of carrying the team until at least January.
The scramble for new signings is reaching its climax and below we have listed 5 deadline day transfers to watch out for.
#5 Jack Butland to Chelsea
As briefly touched upon in the introduction, Chelsea may find themselves without a first-choice goalkeeper if Thibaut Courtois continues to push for a move to Real Madrid. The Chelsea number one has made it very clear over the past few days that he wants a move to the Bernabeú and has even gone as far as to not report back for training at Cobham this week.
Should the Belgian international move, Chelsea will have Willy Caballero and Robert Green as immediate options for the starting jersey. This would be seen as nothing short of a disaster for a team hoping to recover from last season, pushing on for a top-four place or potentially even a title challenge.
Courtois' desire to leave has been clear for quite a while now and it represents bad mismanagement on the Blues' part that they are yet to find a replacement. In fact, the 26-year-old previously downed tools at Genk when trying to force a move to England - so this type of attitude should have been previously noted.
Regardless, they need to urgently make a formal move for a quality goalkeeper before the window closes. While reports today have linked Chelsea with a record move for Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, it seems unlikely that this move would be sanctioned by Roman Abramovich and Sarri revealed he has "no idea" about these links.
A more realistic target is Stoke goalkeeper, Jack Butland who has proved himself as an excellent number one for the Potters. The 25-year-old could be available for an initial €22 million which would represent a bargain for a proven Premier League goalkeeper on short notice.
Transfer Probability: 7/10