Soccer transfer news, rumors: Richarlison close to Tottenham move, USMNT’s Pefok moves to Bundesliga and more
What’s better than a cup of coffee and the latest transfer news? Join in as CBS Sports provides the latest updates from around the world and what they mean to your favorite teams. Tottenham Hotspur remain active with their preseason tour in South Korea less than two weeks away, looking to wrap up deals for RIcharlison and Clement Lenglet. West Ham could keep their summer business going as interest in Arnut Danjuma grows and more.
Let’s get to the transfer moves:
In the six-yard box
The biggest transfer stories of the day. These are the deals that are happening, or at least on the verge of getting done.
Jordan Pefock moves to Union Berlin
One of the hottest scorers in all of Europe is headed to the Bundesliga. After winning the Swiss golden boot with 22 goals and three assists while also scoring twice in Champions League play, American Jordan Pefok has moved to Union Berlin on a €6 million move from Young Boys. Pefok will be the direct replacement for Taiwo Awoniyi after he moved to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. These are big shoes to fill after Awoniyi scored 15 goals in Bundesliga play last season, but with the hope of making the World Cup roster for the United States, Pefok will certainly be motivated.
Moving to a top-half Bundesliga side will be a step up for Pefok as he will also get to compete in Europa League matches (which you can watch on Paramount+). Union Berlin are a team that will help round out his game because the goal scoring isn’t an issue with 65 goals and 17 assists across 135 games in all competitions during his career. Pefok will check another European league off his list too after playing in the Swiss first division and France’s Ligue 1.
Tottenham agree to deal to sign Richarlison
It will likely be the biggest capture of the summer for Spurs, Richarlison will move from Everton for a fee of £50 million, plus add-ons. Once his medical is completed, Richarlison will sign a five-year deal with the North London club, Bruno Andrade reports. Chelsea also made a late charge to complete a deal before Everton’s agreement with Spurs. This is the type of signing that Spurs need to try and close the gap on the top teams in the league because Richarlison won’t slot into a front three that contains Heung-Min Son, Harry Kane and Dejan Kulusevski. Instead, the move provides depth to all three positions. This deal will also help Everton generate much needed income to ease concerns over Financial Fair Play rules. Richarlison will undergo his medical in Brazil as things could be official as soon as Friday.
As Lucas Mora is the odd man out of the attack now and it’s fair to wonder what his future will hold. According to Andrade, Moura has received an offer from a team in Major League Soccer but those talks haven’t progressed. He’s under contract until 2024 so Spurs don’t have to sell right away, but a few wingers will likely make way before the transfer window slams shut.
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Entering the penalty area
These moves may not be imminent, but there’s a lot of transfer fire in all the smoke these players and teams might be blowing.
Clement Lenglet also close to Spurs move
Spurs aren’t done with just adding Richarlison as Antonio Conte has been in the market for a left-sided center back all summer. Alessandro Bastoni and Milan Skrinar were two of the top targets for the role, but Bastoni looks set to spend another season at Inter Milan while PSG have stepped up their pace to add Skrinar. This has sent Spurs to Spain where they look to seal a loan deal for Lenglet.
After three seasons with Barcelona, Lenglet fell out of favor in his fourth season by only starting seven matches. It’s not clear if Lenglet would start over Welsh international Ben Davies in Conte’s defense, but he would have more of an opportunity to make his mark than at Barcelona under Xavi. It remains to be seen if the loan would also include a purchase option.
Build-up play
These moves might be speculative but they’re ones to keep an eye on.
West Ham seek striker boost in Arnut Danjuma
The Villarreal marksman could be on the move as West Ham have been in talks over a €40 million move, but they have struggled to reach an agreement on personal terms. Danjuma enjoyed a strong season during Villareal’s deep Champions League run with 16 goals and four assists across 34 appearances in all competitions. Danjuma has some Premier League experience from his time with Bournemouth, but those days are best being forgotten as he didn’t register a goal contribution in 14 appearances with the club before starring in the Championship following their relegation. He scored 15 goals assisting seven more before earning a move to Villarreal to develop into a trustworthy forward to lead the line. Michail Antonio needs support for the Hammers but they won’t cave to Danjuma’s personal terms due to running a tight wage structure.
Keeper punts
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