Kerim Alajbegović is turning into one of the summer’s messier transfer stories. Chelsea, Newcastle and Atalanta have all been drawn in, but the reports around his valuation are all over the place, from an opening figure of €20m plus bonuses to a separate €30m-plus valuation.

The valuation gap around Alajbegovic

Atalanta have been linked with bids ranging from €20m plus bonuses to €25m plus bonuses, while another report says Bayer Leverkusen’s valuation is €30m plus bonus and too high. The spread is wide enough to make any deal look tentative, and it leaves the impression that the player is being priced in stages rather than through one settled number.

There is also a separate line that says Chelsea are favourites, or at least among the clubs most strongly placed. But there has been no official confirmation from any club or the player, so the cleaner read is that the race is still open rather than decided.

Newcastle’s separate move for Bamba

While Alajbegovic’s future stays unsettled, Newcastle have already moved on Aladji Bamba. The club have agreed a deal worth €40m / £34m for the midfielder, who is now in England ahead of his medical.

TEAMtalk sources say Newcastle explored Lamine Camara’s availability in talks with Monaco while continuing to hold a strong interest in the Senegal international. They also stress that Bamba’s arrival should not be viewed as a replacement for Bruno Guimaraes, and that Bamba was always the priority for Ross Wilson and the recruitment department.

That broader search fits a club that finished 12th in the Premier League with 49 points. It is also worth noting that Monaco finished 7th in Ligue 1, which helps explain why players from that market are being pulled into more than one conversation this summer.

The same is true of Atalanta, who ended 7th in Serie A and are trying to keep moving for younger attacking talent. For now, though, the clearest fact is that Newcastle have a deal done for Bamba, Camara remains on their list, and the Alajbegovic race still depends on which valuation ends up sticking.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →