In the same week that Arsenal announced it's laying off 55 staff as a result of the financial impact of COVID-19, the London club welcomed longtime Chelsea forward Willian for a heaping sum of money, per ESPN.
James Rodriguez looks set to end his time with Real Madrid but could be staying in the city as reports say he is set for a transfer to Atlético Madrid.
Atletico Madrid have reportedly agreed a fee of just €15m with rivals Real Madrid for James Rodriguez pic.twitter.com/fjU9UnP2bc
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) August 5, 2020
Due to the financial hardships caused by COVID-19, this year's summer transfer window looks much different than in previous years. Transfer windows across Europe have been widely staggered because of the various ending dates of major leagues. The Ligue 1 window has been open for weeks, while the Serie A window doesn't start until September 1.
Furthermore, since revenue is down, many clubs are treading lightly in the spending department. Teams are relying more on free transfers and cheap signings to boost the quality of their squad while staying financially frugal.
Ajax will have to change their playing style after the sale of Hakim Ziyech to Chelsea and the possibility of up to six others leaving before the new season in the Netherlands starts, coach Erik ten Hag said as they began pre-season training.
Ziyech was one of the key figures when Ajax reached the Champions League semifinal last season and also dominated in the Dutch league, but success for the club has meant their players have been in high demand.
After a two-year spell at Liga MX side Tijuana recently came to an end, Erick "Cubo" Torres has returned to MLS.
Atlanta United announced the signing of Torres on Friday as a Season-Ending Injury Replacement Player. Atlanta was in desperate need of a forward to replace talisman Josef Martinez, who suffered an ACL injury in the first match of the club's 2020 season.
Meet “Cubo”... “El Cubo” Torres
After 115 appearances for Newcastle United, it looks likely that DeAndre Yedlin's time on Tyneside has come to an end.
Yedlin, capped 62 times by the USMNT, arrived at Newcastle in 2016 after completing a season-long loan spell from Tottenham at the Magpies' archrival Sunderland. Yedlin excelled under noted defensive specialist Rafa Benitez, helping the Toon achieve promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt after the club was relegated in 2015-16.
Norwich City manager Daniel Farke and sporting director Stuart Webber have been proactive in their attempt to rebuild the Canaries’ squad following relegation from the Premier League after this season’s last-placed finish.
Norwich secured promotion back to the top flight after finishing first in the 2018-19 Championship. The club endured a dismal Premier League campaign, winning just five games and finishing 14 points away from the safety of 17th place. Farke’s side scored a league-worst 26 goals in 38 games and also conceded the most goals in the division (75).
Roberto De Zerbi's Sassuolo strolled to a 5-0 win against Genoa on Wednesday, in large part thanks to winger Domenico Berardi.
Berardi, who joined Sassuolo as a 16-year old in 2010, has been one of Serie A's standout players in 2019-20. After his man-of-the-match performance Wednesday, he has 14 goals and 10 assists this season. After providing the assist for the opener, Berardi scored Sassuolo's second with a beautiful curling effort from outside the box.
Longtime Chelsea winger Willian looks set to leave after seven seasons with the London club. Willian will turn 32 in two weeks and could play his final match for Chelsea in the FA Cup final against Arsenal on Saturday. His current contract expires in August and he has a handful of options for where he could play next, including MLS.
Willian’s agent, Kia Joorabchian, said in an interview with Talksport that he has two offers from Premier League clubs, two offers from Europe and a large offer from an unannounced MLS club.
Manchester United's 14-game unbeaten run to end the Premier League season, culminating in Sunday's 2-0 win at Leicester City, pushed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side into the Champions League spots but now the club faces a crucial transfer window.
The Norwegian delivered on United's main goal for this season — they were never expected to challenge Liverpool or Manchester City for the title — but being back in Europe's elite competition is just part of the journey back to the top.