June 2024 - Soccer Wiretap

Jadon Sancho has joined Chelsea from Manchester United on an initial loan deal that will be made permanent next summer. Chelsea will cover the majority of Sancho's wages for the season with the transfer fee next summer potentially reaching almost $33 million.

"I'm really excited to be here. London is where I grew up and I'm happy to be back," Sancho said in a statement.

"The manager spoke to me about the project and, for a young player, it's exciting. Hopefully I can bring goals and assists to the Bridge."

Sancho joined United from Borussia Dortmund in an €85 million deal in July 2021. Sancho spent the second half of last season on loan at former club Dortmund after being exiled from United's first team squad following a public row with Erik Ten Hag.

Arsenal have signed Raheem Sterling from Chelsea after he fell out of Enzo Maresca's plans for the season. There will be loan fee as Arsenal simply inherits his £325,000-a-week contract. Chelsea had an excess of other options in the wide areas.

Sterling has previously played for Liverpool and Manchester City.

Al Ahli have agreed a $53 million deal to sign Ivan Toney from Brentford. Toney has less than one year remaining on his contract at Brentford.

Toney has scored 72 goals in 141 appearances for Brentford. Toney will sign a lucrative contract with the Saudi club.

Arsenal has been offered the opportunity to sign Raheem Sterling from Chelsea. Chelsea want to offload his £325,000-a-week wage and are thought to be open to a loan deal given Sterling has three years remaining on his contract.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta distanced the club from a move from Sterling last week despite speaking positively about his character after the pair worked together for three years at Manchester City.

The Champions League announced their matchups for the new expanded Champions League as they have moved away from the traditional four-club group stage. In the competition's new system, each team will play eight games before the knockouts, which is two more than the previous version. The top eight teams will directly advance to the round of 16, while teams finishing nine through 24th will advance to a knockout playoff stage.

Pot 1 Teams

Bayern Munich: PSG (H), Barcelona (A), Benfica (H), Shakhtar (A), Dinamo Zagreb (H), Feyenoord (A), Slovan Bratislava (H), Aston Villa (A).

Manchester City: Inter (H), PSG (A), Club Brugge (H), Juventus (A), Feyenoord (H), Sporting CP (A), Sparta Prague (H), Slovan Bratislava (A).

Liverpool: Real Madrid (H), Leipzig (A), Leverkusen (H), Milan (A), Lille (H), PSV Eindhoven (A), Bologna (H), Girona (A).

Real Madrid: Dortmund (H), Liverpool (A), Milan (H), Atalanta (A), Salzburg (H), Lille (A), Stuttgart (H), Brest (A).

Paris Saint-Germain: Man City (H), Bayern (A), Atlético (H), Arsenal (A), PSV (H), Salzburg (A), Girona (H), Stuttgart (A).

Barcelona: Bayern (H), Dortmund (A), Atalanta (H), Benfica (A), Young Boys (H), Red Star (A), Brest (H), Monaco (A).

Inter: Leipzig (H), Arsenal (H), Leverkusen (A), Red Star (H), Young Boys (A), Monaco (H), Sparta Prague (A).

RB Leipzig: Liverpool (H), Inter (A), Juventus (H), Atlético (A), Sporting (H), Celtic (A), Aston Villa (H), Sturm Graz (A).

Dortmund: Barcelona (H), Real Madrid (A), Shakhtar (H), Brugge (A), Celtic (H), Dinamo Zagreb (A), Sturm Graz (H), Bologna (A).

Pot 2 Teams

Atlético: Leipzig (H), PSG (A), Leverkusen (H), Benfica (A), Lille (H), Salzburg (A), Slovan Bratislava (H), Sparta Prague (A).

Arsenal: PSG (H), Inter (A), Shakhtar (H), Atalanta (A), Dinamo Zagreb (H), Sporting (A), Monaco (H), Girona (A).

Bayer Leverkusen: Inter (H), Liverpool (A), Atlético (A), Milan (H), Salzburg (H), Feyenoord (A), Sparta Prague (H), Brest (A).

Benfica: Barcelona (H), Bayern (A), Atletico (H), Juventus (A), Feyenoord (H), Red Star (A), Bologna (H), Monaco (A).

Milan: Liverpool (H), Real Madrid (A), Brugge (H), Leverkusen (A), Red Star (H), Dinamo Zagreb (A), Girona (H), Slovan Bratislava (A).

Juventus: Man City (H), Leipzig (A), Benfica (H), Club Brugge (A), PSV (H), Lille (A), Stuttgart (H), Aston Villa (A).

Atalanta: Real Madrid (H), Barcelona (A), Arsenal (H), Shakhtar Donetsk (A), Celtic (H), Young Boys (A), Sturm Graz (H), Stuttgart (A).

Club Brugge: Dortmund (H), Man City (A), Juventus (H), Milan (A), Sporting CP (H), Celtic (A), Aston Villa (H) and Sturm Graz (A).

Shakhtar Donetsk: Bayern (H), Dortmund (A), Atalanta (H), Arsenal (A), Young Boys (H), PSV (A), Brest (H) and Bologna (A).

Pot 3 Teams

Young Boys: Inter (H), Barcelona (A), Atalanta (H), Shakhtar (A), Red Star (H), Celtic (A), Aston Villa (H), Stuttgart (A).

Celtic: Leipzig (H), Dortmund (A), Brugge (H), Atalanta (A), Young Boys (H), Dinamo Zagreb (A), S Bratislava (H), Aston Villa (A).

Lille: Real Madrid (H), Liverpool (A), Juventus (H), Atletico (A), Feyenoord (H), Sporting CP (A), Sturm Graz (H), Bologna (A).

PSV Eindhoven: Liverpool (H), PSG (A), Shakhtar (H), Juventus (A), Sporting (H), Red Star (A), Girona (H) and Brest (A).

Feyenoord: Bayern (H), Man City (A), Leverkusen (H), Benfica (A), Salzburg (H), Lille (A), Sparta Prague (H), Girona (A).

Dinamo Zagreb: Dortmund (H), Bayern (A), Milan (H), Arsenal (A), will also play Celtic (H), Salzburg (A), Monaco (H), Slovan Bratislava (A).

Crvena Zvezda: Barcelona (H), Inter (A), Benfica (H), Milan (A), PSV (H), Young Boys (A), Stuttgart (H), Monaco (A).

Red Bull Salzburg: PSG (H), Real Madrid (A), Atletico (H), Leverkusen (A), Dinamo Zagreb (H), Feyenoord (A), Brest (H), Sparta Prague (A).

Sporting CP: Man City (H), Leipzig (A), Arsenal (H), Club Brugge (A), Lille (H), PSV (A), Bologna (H), Sturm Graz (A).

Pot 4 Teams

Stuttgart: PSG (H), Real Madrid (A), Atalanta (H), Juventus (A), Young Boys (H), Red Star (A), Sparta Prague (H), S Bratislava (A).

Aston Villa: Bayern (H), Leipzig (A), Juventus (H), Brugge (A), Celtic (H), Young Boys (A), Bologna (H), Monaco (A).

Girona: Liverpool (H), PSG (A), Arsenal (H), Milan (A), Feyenoord (H), PSV (A), Slovan Bratislava (H), Sturm Graz (A).

Bologna: Dortmund (H), Liverpool (A), Shakhtar (H), Benfica (A), Lille (H), Sporting (A), Monaco (H), Aston Villa (A).

Brest: Real Madrid (H), Barcelona (A), Leverkusen (H), Shakhtar (A), PSV (H), Salzburg (A), Sturm Graz (H), Sparta Prague (A).

Sparta Prague: Inter (H), Man City (A), Atletico (H), Leverkusen (A), Salzburg (H), Feyenoord (A), Brest (H), Stuttgart (A).

Slovan Bratislava: Man City (H), Bayern (A), Milan (H), Atletico (A), Dinamo Zagreb (H), Celtic (A), Stuttgart (H), Girona (A).

Sturm Graz: Leipzig (H), Dortmund (A), Club Brugge (H), Atalanta (A), Sporting CP (H), Lille (A), Girona (H) and Brest (A).

Monaco: Barcelona (H), Inter (A), Benfica (H), Arsenal (A), Red Star (H), Dinamo Zagreb (A), Aston Villa (H), Bologna (A).

Jadon Sancho is holding out hope of joining Chelsea before the end of the transfer window despite the competing interest from Juventus. Juve is interested in Sancho on a loan.

Enzo Maresca, however, is not short on wide players on his roster already despite Chelsea's continued interest in Sancho.

“If we have to sign a player just for signing, I don’t want it,” Maresca said. 

“But if we can sign a player who can help us, for sure I want it. I know Jadon very well from many years with [Manchester] City. I know him very well. But he is not our player. We will see what happens.”

Liverpool have signed Federico Chiesa from Juventus for £10 million ($13.2 million). Chiesa had been close to joining Barcelona earlier in the transfer window.

In 33 matches last season with Juventus, Chiesa scored nine goals with two assists.

“I’m ready to start this new adventure, I wanted to say goodbye to the Juventus fans,” Chiesa told waiting journalists as he prepared to board a flight from Turin to Liverpool on Wednesday afternoon. “Thank you for your affection and for these years, I will carry you in my heart and thanks to Juventus.

“Is it sad to leave Juve like this? It’s sad but I’m really happy for this new adventure. I’m really happy and my family and I can’t wait.”

Napoli have agreed to sign Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea. Chelsea have been seeking a permanent exit for Lukaku having put a £37.8 million clause in his contract before he joined Roma on loan last year. 

Chelsea are working to seal a number of outgoings to balance the books after another summer of heavy spending.

In 32 matches last season with Roma, Lukaku scored 13 goals to go with three assists. Lukaku played for Inter in three of the previous four seasons before that.

Liverpool have signed keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia to become the first incoming transfer under Arne Slot.

Alisson Becker and Roimhin Kelleher remain the senior goalkeepers at Liverpool, but the move for Mamardashvili is viewed as planning for a future when either Alisson or Kelleher leave the club.

Gio Reyna is expected to remain with Borussia Dortmund this season. Reyna made 11 appearances for Dortmund in the first half of last season after being loaned to Nottingham Forest, who used him sparingly. 

"There are no other thoughts. There's nothing on the table and I haven't heard that the player wants to leave," Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl told Bild.

Reyna played in Saturday's Bundesliga opener, going in at the 81st minute in the team's 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt.

"He has to accept his role, free himself from it," Kehl said. "It was clear when we had the talks in the summer that Gio wanted to take on this role, that there will be enough games in which we need him. We know that he has incredible abilities."