September 5th: Weekly Football News Catch Up: Antony To Manchester United; Aubamenyang To Chelsea; Fulham Acquires Daniel James And Willian; Marcelo Joins Olympiacos; Others

United Finally Gets Their Target, Antony Santos.

Manchester United finally acquired Brazilian winger Antony for a reported £86 million from Ajax.

The player now becomes United’s third-most expensive recruit after Paul Pogba (£93.3 million) and Romelu Lukaku (£90 million).

The 22-year-old has a deal that runs until 2027 with an additional year’s option, and he also made his home debut against Arsenal on Sunday, scoring the opening goal for the Reds.

With the move to United, Antony will be reunited with former Ajax manager Erik ten Hag, who has also signed defender Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord and Lisandro Martinez from his old team.

Antony described his move to Old Trafford as an “incredible moment” in his career and that he was looking forward to reuniting with Ten Hag and his old teammates.

The Brazilian said, “This is an incredible moment in my career to be joining one of the most iconic clubs in the world,” Antony said.

“I’m thankful to everyone who has believed in me, especially my family, and all my coaches and teammates because I could not have got here without them.

“Playing under Erik ten Hag at Ajax was perfect for me and my development. His style of football and coaching brings out the best in me, and I am excited by what he has told me about his plans and ambitions in Manchester.

“My time at Ajax was fantastic and I will always be grateful for the trust they put in me, but now I am ready for the next challenge, and I can’t wait to join my new team-mates and play my part in bringing success to Manchester United.”

Aubamenyang Moves To Chelsea In A Deal Involving Marcos Alonso.

Former Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has made a move to Chelsea from Barcelona, which included a swap deal for Marcos Alonso after his contract with the Blues was terminated.

According to reports, Chelsea paid around £10 million for the former Arsenal striker, plus Alonso.

On Thursday afternoon, Aubameyang took a flight to the UK for his medical and to complete the move, which was finalized after the 11 p.m. deadline after Chelsea filed the deal sheet to give more time.

The player sustained a slight jaw fracture after a recent attack on his home during the weekend. The Gabon forward can start non-contact training again the following week after a three-week anticipated break.

In January, Aubameyang left Arsenal for Barcelona on a free transfer. Thomas Tuchel was eager to reunite with Aubameyang, a player who scored 79 goals for him in two seasons at Borussia Dortmund.

Cavani Signs For Valencia On Free Transfer.

Valencia completed a free transfer for experienced striker Edinson Cavani, which the club confirmed on Monday.

The Uruguayan player turned down offers to join Los Che from Boca Juniors in favour of Villarreal for a two-year deal with the Spanish team, where he will make about €2 million per season.

He was picked up on a free transfer after he departed from Manchester United in the summer. At the conclusion of the previous season, Cavani’s contract at Old Trafford expired, which he called a “bitter” end to his time there.

Hudson-Odoi Moves To German Club On Loan.

Chelsea’s winger, Callum Hudson-Odoi has gone on a season-long loan to Bayer Leverkusen in Germany.

The player had his travel to Germany for his medicals scheduled last week Monday.

The agreement was on the verge of collapsing because Chelsea just wanted a straight loan but Leverkusen insisted on including an option to buy.

However, Bradley Hudson-Odoi, Callum’s brother, who represented him during the negotiations, was successful in persuading Leverkusen to accept Chelsea’s offers.

The player’s preferred destination was Leverkusen, as there were reports last week that another German team had expressed late interest.

After hearing all of the offers and speaking with several clubs, Hudson-Odoi and his representatives came to the conclusion that Leverkusen offered the best opportunity for his growth.

This summer, up to 20 clubs, including those in England and Europe, were rumoured to be interested in signing Hudson-Odoi.

The forward, who came up through Chelsea’s junior system, has two years left on his current deal and has made 126 appearances while scoring 16 goals since making his first team debut in 2018.

The London club is now sending the forward out for the first time.

Last summer, he was on the verge of accepting a loan offer from Borussia Dortmund, but Chelsea scuttled the deal on Deadline Day.

Marcelo Joins Olympiacos On Free Transfer.

After 15 trophy-filled years at Real Madrid, left-back Marcelo has left the Spanish giants to join Olympiacos on a free transfer.

Since leaving Real Madrid in July, Marcelo has been without a club; however, he has now signed a one-year contract with Greek team Olympiacos, with an option of extending his contract for an additional year.

The Greek champs will certainly benefit from Marcelo’s vast expertise as one of the most accomplished players in history. He has won La Liga six times and the Champions League five times, most recently last season.

The player has made France Football’s team of the decade in 2019, the UEFA Team of the Year three times, and the FIFpro XI six times (2010-19). Additionally, he has been capped by Brazil 58 times.

Olympiacos welcomed Marcelo in a tweet, saying, “A true football LEGEND joins OLYMPIACOS! Welcome MARCELO to Piraeus.”

Willian And Dan James To Fulham.

At the conclusion of a busy Deadline Day, Fulham finalized the permanent acquisition of Willian and a loan deal for Leeds winger Dan James.

James, a Wales international, is looking for regular first-team action before the 2022 World Cup, which starts in November.

Despite the fact that three other Premier League clubs, including Tottenham, were interested in the 22-year-old, he choose Fulham as he feared he would not get the playing time he desired if he joined Antonio Conte’s team.

Also, on Thursday, Willian, a former winger for Chelsea and Arsenal, completed his move to Craven Cottage.

After terminating his contract with Corinthians on mutual agreement, the winger has been training with the Fulham first team squad for the past two weeks.

The 34-year-old’s performance in training has impressed Fulham manager Marco Silva, who sees him as a player who can contribute quality and experience to his team.