Transfer Talk! Tavares flies in for Arsneal medical; Zielinski latest
The summer window is open and clubs are stepping up their efforts to sign and sell players.
Manchester United have finally signed long-time no1 target Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund, for a ‘fixed transfer fee of £73million’. The young Englishman could be joined at Old Trafford by Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane, while Juan Mata has signed a new contract and goalkeeper Tom Heaton has returned on a two-year deal.
Manchester City are ready to once again splash the cash as they target huge deals for both Harry Kane and Jack Grealish, though managing to prise the pair away from Tottenham and Aston Villa will prove difficult, with Villa confident of Grealish agreeing fresh terms to stay put.
Arsenal, meanwhile, face being gazumped by Everton in the race for Ben White, while Benfica left-back Nuno Tavares is flying in for a medical and an improved offer for Anderlecht star Albert Sambi Lokonga has been made. They have also made an opening bid for Manuel Locatelli and are rumoured to be chasing Napoli’s Piotr Zielinski.
Liverpool are believed to have launched an audacious move for PSG star Kylian Mbappe with Porto’s Otavio and Nicolo Barella of Inter Milan also firmly on the radar, while Chelsea are rumoured to be pondering an approach for Barcelona outcast Miralem Pjanic after allowing Billy Gilmour to join Norwich on loan.
Tottenham’s transfer activity will step up a gear now Nuno Espirito Santo has been confimed as their new manager and they have reportedly been set an asking price for Inter defender Milan Skriniar. They are also trying to sign Takehiro Tomiyasu from Bologna.
Elsewhere, Patrick Vieira is set to become the new Crystal Palace manager, while Rafael Benitez has taken over at Everton. PSG are also stepping up their bid to sign Sergio Ramos.
Keep up to date with all of today’s latest transfer news, rumours and gossip below!
Live updates
Wolves to complete Ait-Nouri deal
Wolves are set to complete the permanent signing of full-back Rayan Ait-Nouri.
Ait-Nouri spent last season on loan at the club and, according to the Telegraph’s John Percy, is set to make a permanent move for a fee of £10m.
Update on Messi contract
Barcelona president Joan Laporta says Lionel Messi wants to stay and new contract talks are ongoing.
He told El Transistor: “We want him to stay and Leo wants to stay, everything is on the right track, what’s left to sort out is the issue of fair play and we are in the process of finding the best solution for both parties.
“I’d like to be able to announce that he is staying but at the moment I cannot do that, because we are in the process of looking for the best solution for both parties.”
Tavares to London
Nuno Tavares is on his way to London to complete his move to Arsenal.
The Benfica left-back has been spotted at an airport in Portugal on his way to the capital.
The Gunners agreed a fee for Tavares on Wednesday and they are set to pay around £7million upfront for the 21-year-old, with a further £1.5m due in add-ons.
Tavares has agreed personal terms and now needs to undergo a medical.
Dann expected to leave Palace
Scott Dann is planning for life after Crystal Palace.
The defender is one of 11 players who are awaiting a decision over their future at the club after their contracts expired at the end of June.
Dann had been expecting to stay but Standard Sport now understands that he is expecting to leave the club.
Just one of those 11 players reported to the club’s training ground for the start of pre-season today.
Saints sign Perraud
Southampton have completed the signing of French left-back Romain Perraud.
The 23-year-old joins from Stade Brest on a four-year deal.
Southampton were in the market for full-backs in order to find a replacement for Ryan Bertand, who left on a free and has agreed a deal at Leicester City this week.
Thousands welcome Mourinho in Rome
Thousands of fans turned out to greet new Roma coach Jose Mourinho upon his arrival in the Italian capital.
Supporters first gathered at the Ciampino airport where Mourinho landed and then went to Roma’s training centre where the manager stepped onto a balcony and waved to the chanting fans below.
Mourinho was hired in May on a three-year contract. He takes over a team that finished seventh in Serie A last season and is seeking its first Serie A title in two decades.
Roma’s American owner Dan Friedkin went personally to pick Mourinho up at his home in Portugal and piloted the plane that brought the coach to Rome.
Mourinho needs to revive his career after dressing-room apathy and growing disillusionment at his tactics cost him his job at Tottenham in April after 17 months at the London club.
Moses joins Spartak Moscow
Victor Moses has left Chelsea and completed a permanent transfer to Spartak Moscow.
The move brings to an end his nine-year Chelsea career as he returns to Russian side Spartak Moscow, where he made 20 appearances on loan last season.
Moses joined Chelsea from Wigan in 2012, made 128 appearances for the Blues and was a key part of the team that won the Premier League under Antonio Conte in 2016-17.
Chelsea tweeted: “128 appearances, 18 goals, and an FA Cup, Europa League and Premier League winner with Chels. Blue circle. All the best for the future, Victor Moses.”
No coaching role for Crouch at Dulwich Hamlet
It was announced last week that Peter Crouch had been appointed as a director at Dulwich Hamlet – but he will not be handed a coaching role by the National League South side.
Crouch, who gained his first senior football on loan at Hamlet from Tottenham, is filming a docuseries called Save Our Beautiful Game for discovery +.
A press release said the former England striker would “be putting his skills as a newly-qualified coach to the test”.
But Dulwich manager Gavin Rose has told the South London Press: “He might know a mate in football who can get us a loan but anything about being on the grass is not in an official capacity.
“It is about the opportunity to fundraise and raise awareness on issues that, at times, have gone by the wayside in the last few years – like our youth provision community schemes.
“It is mainly off the football pitch that we think Peter wants to get involved in and that we can benefit from.”
Sakho in talks to join Montpellier
Former Crystal Palace defender Mamadou Sakho is in advanced talks to join Montpellier.
The 31-year-old left Palace when his contract expired last month and is closing in on a free transfer back to France.
L’Equipe claim an agreement in principle has been reached with Montpellier over a “medium-term contract”.
Sakho is thought to have had offers from the Middle East but preferred to return to France.
ICYMI | Arsenal want Zielinski
Arsenal look to have moved on to Piotr Zielinski as they target at least one new midfielder as part of a big summer recruitment drive.
That is according to Italian newspaper Il Mattino, who have reported the Gunners’ interest in the Napoli and Poland star.
Zielinski, 27, was part of the Poland squad at Euro 2020 that failed to make it past the group stage, though he is very highly-rated in Italy and was previously compared to Kevin De Bruyne by Maurizio Sarri.