Premier League news and gossip: Pep Guardiola, title predictions, Arsenal kit deal

It promises to be an exciting final 24 hours of the summer transfer window as Premier League clubs look to make some late signings ahead of the 5pm deadline on Thursday.

While Paul Pogba’s Manchester United future will need to be resolved amid interest from Barcelona, the dealings are going on at Chelsea with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois set for Real Madrid and Kepa Arrizabalaga arriving from Athletic Bilbao.

Tottenham are still yet to sign anyone this summer but there’s reports that Jack Grealish could come in from Aston Villa. And according to this morning’s transfer gossip, there could also be moves for Spurs defenders Kieran Trippier and Toby Alderweireld.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Other players to keep an eye on are Leicester’s Harry Maguire, who is reported to be still keen on joining Manchester United, and Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele who is linked with Arsenal.

We take a look at the other stories making the headlines today in the Premier League.

Argentina enquired about Pep

The president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) has revealed that the nation looked into the possibility of appointing Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola as their new head coach.

After a disappointing World Cup and Jorge Sampaoli’s departure, AFA chief Claudio Tapia confirmed Guardiola was approached.

Tapia told TyC Sports: “You have to have a fat wallet. It was impossible. At the time we made enquiries, but you need to have a big economic back-up. It is very difficult. We would have needed to mortgage the whole [of the AFA] to pay for him, and even that might not have been enough.”

BBC and Sky Sports pundits predict City celebrations

Of the 24 BBC TV and radio football pundits all but three have predicted that Manchester City will win the Premier League this season.

Reigning champions City stormed to the title with a record 100-point haul last season and they are tipped to successfully defend the trophy by 21 BBC pundits including Mark Lawrenson, Alan Shearer and Alex Scott.

However, the three pundits who did not pick City - Ian Wright, Ruud Gullit and Martin Keown - all predict that Liverpool will win the Premier League in 2018-19.

Over at Sky Sports, pundits Charlie Nicholas, Phil Thompson, Matt Le Tissier and Paul Merson all tip City to finish top and Liverpool second.

Reds are ready for new campaign

Talking of Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp’s men completed their pre-season schedule with a 3-1 victory against Italian side Torino last night. The Anfield friendly saw goals from Roberto Firmino, Georginio Wijnaldum and Daniel Sturridge, but new signing Fabinho missed a penalty.

Arsenal to swap Puma for adidas

Arsenal look set to change kit provider next season, according to the Daily Mail. The Gunners’s current deal with Puma expires next year and the Mail says they will sign an agreement with adidas that will be worth £60m a season over five years.

Transfer deadline to be reviewed

With this year’s deadline taking place much earlier than usual - it’s normally the end of August - the Premier League has revealed there will be a review.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Premier League executive chairman Richard Scudamore says there has been a “mixed response” to the earlier deadline. He said: “It wasn’t a unanimous decision to do it, so there’s bound to be some dissent still around.

“But it was done for the reasons the clubs wanted to do it, for the purposes of not having a situation where clubs are threatened with players leaving to go to other Premier League clubs.

“It is going to be challenging, particularly for the promoted clubs, who effectively have two-and-a-half weeks less. But the decision has been made and we’ll analyse it in September when it’s all over.

“I speak to clubs who say: ‘This is fantastic, we knew what the deadline was and we’ve worked to that’. But there are other clubs who say they haven’t got time and wish we hadn’t decided to do it.”