Premier League clubs preparing for swap deal transfer market as big fees snubbed

Premier League clubs are expecting an explosion in swap deals this summer.

They are notoriously difficult transfers to complete because agreeing one deal is hard enough but to agree two within the same transaction with player values, contracts and agent fees make them relatively rare.

Think about it… they hardly ever work. The most memorable recent one was Henrikh Mkhitaryan for Alexis Sanchez in January 2018 and that took a lot of balancing on fees and contracts - and proved to be a total disaster.

But expect that to change in the next window as even the biggest clubs are making it clear they will have very little to spend - if at all. It will all be about cheap deals, swaps, free transfers and loans.

Chelsea and the two Manchester clubs may have money to spend but it will not be outrageous, which is highlighted by United baulking at Borussia Dortmund’s £120m asking price for Jason Sancho and Liverpool putting their interest in Timo Werner on hold.

Ones to watch might be Arsenal looking at Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey to see if a swap deal could be done involving Alexandre Lacazette while Chelsea have cooled on Ben Chilwell and instead see Ajax’s Nicolás Tagliafico as better value at £22m.

Super agent Kia Joorabchian’s growing influence at Arsenal is worth watching as clearly David Luiz is pushing for a new deal while Philippe Coutinho is available for loan and is being linked with the Emirates and Newcastle.

One other interesting aspect being talked about among agents is players who have already had coronavirus - and can be proved by the antibody test - may be more attractive in the market as the likelihood is they will not get it again.

===========

No wonder the EFL drew up a new rules on needing a 51 per cent majority to decide how League One should finish.

It is on a knife edge as to how the vote will go when it is announced next week.

This column has been told 13 clubs want to finish, 10 want to carry on and there is even a push for the votes to be made public.

That would be enough to see the season curtailed, the table decided by points per game with play-offs at Wembley still standing. But it is safe to say it is not a forgone conclusion.

===========

Championship clubs have been back in training and most have sent out very strict guidelines to players.

Derby have got players training in shifts at different times and on different pitches while allocating all of the players parking spaces either side of a coloured traffic cone.

Former England captain Wayne Rooney, 34, and one of the most successful English players of all time, has been parking by a pink cone next to teenager Morgan Whittaker, 19. Their respective cars might be very different…

===========

Arsenal stars Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and David Luiz will star in a new series MTV Cribs: Footballers Stay Home.

Four 22 minute episodes will be made by OTRO Studios who were commissioned by MTV International to make a football themed show of the hit series showing what players are doing during lockdown, how they are keeping fit, amusing past times and what is in their fridge.

Jesse Lingard, Brazil and Manchester United midfielder Andreas Pereira, Belgian footballing legend Axel Witsel will also feature.

============

Barcelona star Arthur Melo has told the Spanish giants he is not interested in joining Juventus in a swap deal for Miralem Pjanic.

Brazilian international Arthur is determined to stay at the Nou Camp, help them be successful and wants to put an end to any uncertainty.

Sign up to the Mirror Football email here for the latest news and transfer gossip.