Arsenal are spinning a couple of transfer plates after giving Chelsea a free run at one £100m target, with that move potentially key to a Man Utd deal.
Transfer shenanigans are firmly abound and while a few signings have been made at this early stage of the window, others will play out for much longer.
There will be rumours, claim and counter-claim, Here We Gos and other tiresome transfer insider gimmicks. Some stories are to be ignored, emanating as they do from untrustworthy sources. But reports from the more reputable outlets can be taken at their word.
It is those we are interested in here, specifically stories confirming summer offers that have been made and rejected. We’re talking exclusives from your Ornsteins and Romanos, revelations from your broadsheets and less objectionable tabloids.
Here is a definitive list of those transfers which have seen bids made and rejected, and their current state of play.
Declan Rice
The bidding club: Arsenal.
The bid: £80m plus £10m in add-ons.
The situation: West Ham want at least £100m and a more favourable pay structure, with two instalments due by 2025. There are differing reports as to whether they would accept a base bid of £100m plus a player, or with achievable clauses instead.
The other interested clubs: Manchester City, Man Utd and Chelsea; Newcastle and Bayern Munich have been mentioned but are unlikely.
Kai Havertz
The bidding club: Arsenal.
The bid: ‘In excess of £55m,’ according to either Tom Roddy of The Times, or people misquoting a since-deleted claim by Tom Roddy of The Times. It isn’t particularly clear.
The situation: Chelsea want somewhere between £70m and £75m – their money back, basically – but are said by Fabrizio Romano to be ‘flexible’ with their valuation. Other reports do suggest Arsenal are confident of being able to negotiate the fee down.
The other interested clubs: Bayern Munich.
READ MORE: Kai Havertz is a marginal gain for Arsenal when they need giant leaps forward
Brennan Johnson
The bidding club: Brentford.
The bid: A straight £30m, as first confirmed by John Percy of the Daily Telegraph.
The situation: No-one has been able to nail down a definitive figure which Nottingham Forest would accept, but Paul Taylor of The Athletic reckons it would take ‘£20m more to spark any serious talks’. The Times, meanwhile, say it would take £55m ‘due to his age and importance within the squad’.
The other interested clubs: Aston Villa, Everton and West Ham.
Levi Colwill
The bidding club: Brighton.
The bid: £30m, with another amounting to £40m imminent.
The situation: Chelsea are not selling. They ‘have no intention of entertaining any offers,’ according to the Daily Mail. And that does seem like the end of that chapter.
The other interested clubs: Liverpool are Manchester City are ‘monitoring’ developments with regards to the centre-half (London Evening Standard), but both seem to accept Chelsea’s ‘adamant’ stance.
Ian Maatsen
The bidding club: Burnley.
The bid: £15m including add-ons.
The situation: Chelsea are believed to want ‘in excess’ of £20m but are also not perturbed by the prospect of keeping Maatsen, although they are well-stocked at left-back with Marc Cucurella, Ben Chilwell and Lewis Hall in the position.
The other interested clubs: None have been named but it is believed that the Dutchman has his admirers.
Moises Caicedo
The bidding club: Chelsea.
The bid: £60m, as claimed by David Ornstein.
The situation: Most reports suggest Brighton want about £80m for the midfielder, but Andy Naylor of The Athletic suggests the Seagulls will use any Rice sale ‘as a benchmark for Caicedo’s value’ as they ‘believe Caicedo is at least as good, if not better, than Rice’. So it could take up to £100m. But Chelsea have at least agreed personal terms.
The other interested clubs: Arsenal have dropped out of the running, Man Utd are still being mentioned and Bayern Munich have been ruled out.
Mason Mount
The bidding club: Man Utd.
The bid: £40m, rejected almost as soon as it was made.
The situation: Chelsea and Man Utd remain hilariously at odds when it comes to the valuation of a 24-year-old European champion with a year left on his contract. The latter seem willing to go as high as £50m but the former would prefer another £20m on top of even that.
The other interested clubs: Liverpool and Bayern Munich, but neither regard Mount as anything close to a priority, if indeed they still see him as an option at all.
James Maddison and Harvey Barnes
The bidding club: Spurs.
The bid: A joint £50m offer for Leicester’s two crown jewels.
The situation: As the Daily Mail reported, ‘Leicester were demanding about £60m for each player individually a year ago’. Relegation means such sums are unlikely but also £50m for both is peak Daniel Levy; the Foxes want around £50m for Maddison and £60m for Barnes. There is a middle ground somewhere.
The other interested clubs: Newcastle have planned their midfield around the capture of Maddison, while the Magpies, Aston Villa and West Ham are hoping to lure Barnes.