Four Big Transfers That Could Still Happen By The Start Of The 2021/22 Premier League Season
With around two weeks to go until the start of the 2021/22 Premier League season, every club in England’s top flight will be working tirelessly to tie up any last-minute deals, boosting their chances in the bet exchange, before the league gets underway on August 13th — starting with new boys Brentford hosting Arsenal in west London.
Of course, the summer transfer window doesn’t close until the end of August, giving teams a couple of weeks to work out their true weaknesses after the first couple of gameweeks. However, most managers will be keen to get their business done and dusted before the season gets underway.
That said, let’s take a look at four big transfers that could still be signed, sealed and delivered by the start of the new campaign…
Cristian Romero – Tottenham Hotspur
With the news coming out of north London that Toby Alderweireld has moved to Qatari outfit Al-Duhail for £13m, ending the Belgium international’s six-year stint at Tottenham Hotspur, there’s no doubt that the club’s hierarchy will be keen to bring in someone new at the back — that man could be Cristian Romero. Spurs have shown interest in the 23-year-old, who helped Argentina win their 15th Copa América title this summer, and the centre-back could end up costing Daniel Levy around £40m. If Spurs can lure him to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, it would be a massive boost for their new boss Nuno Espírito Santo.
Leon Bailey – ?
It seems like only a matter of time before Leon Bailey’s much-anticipated move to the Premier League is confirmed, with Sky Sports Germany claiming that the 23-year-old will leave Bayer Leverkusen this summer. However, the real question is; which club’s jersey will he be holding aloft when he is revealed? Villa Park appears to be his most likely destination, as Dean Smith looks to add even more firepower to his attack after the addition of Emiliano Buendía. But the midlands side will have to fight off the likes of Arsenal, Leicester City, Everton, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton if they want to land the exciting Jamaican winger.
Erling Håland – Chelsea
If Chelsea want to challenge for the Premier League title this season, it’s fair to say that Thomas Tuchel will need to bolster his attack — and who better to do that than Erling Håland? The 21-year-old striker has set Europe alight over the past couple of seasons, making a name for himself at Red Bull Salzburg before moving to Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund. It’s believed that Chelsea chief Roman Abramovich has loosened his purse strings for a mammoth £130m move. However, it seems unlikely that Chelsea will sign the goalscoring machine this summer, and even if the Blues do pursue the Norwegian, a deal of such magnitude will be very difficult to pull off before the start of the season.
Federico Chiesa – Liverpool
After his exploits with Italy at Euro 2020, where he helped spur Roberto Mancini’s side to European glory, Federico Chiesa has attracted a lot of interest this summer. Chelsea were the first club to have a bid rejected, with the Blues quick to move for the 23-year-old — bidding a reported £85m just days after the Azzurri’s triumph. But Liverpool now seem to be in the driving seat, with their rumoured offer of £100m being turned down by Juventus recently. The Reds are hoping to offload a number of players, including Xherdan Shaqiri and Divock Origi, which could free up some additional funds to go back in with an improved offer for the young Italian.