CROSS Clubs set to swap ’til they drop

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 makes them relatively rare.

Think about it… they hardly ever work. The most memorable recent one was Henrikh Mkhitaryan for Alexis Sanchez (above) 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 anything 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. That is

BARCELONA star Arthur Melo has told the Spanish giants he is not interested in highlighted by United baulking at Borussia Dortmund’s £120million asking price for Jadon 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 (below) and instead see Ajax’s Nicolas Tagliafico as better value at £22m.

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

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

joining Juventus in a swap deal for Bosnia’s Miralem Pjanic.

Brazil international Arthur is determined

to stay at the Nou Camp to help them be successful, and wants to put an end to any uncertainty.

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 foregone conclusion.